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Fundamental Review of Allocations

In this section

What is the Fundamental Review of Allocations Implementation Project?

The Department for Communities led a review to improve how social homes are allocated in Northern Ireland.

This included looking at the Housing Selection Scheme and the allocation processes.

This is called the Fundamental Review of Allocations (FRA).

As part of this review, the Department:

  • commissioned independent research
  • consulted on the recommendations
  • worked with us (and others including Housing Associations) to identify proposals for change

Twenty proposals to improve the social housing allocation system were identified. 

Public consultation on the proposed changes was carried out in 2017. A consultation outcome report was published in December 2020.

You can read the consultation documents and find out more about each of the 20 proposals at the Department for Communities' website: 

The Minister for Communities decided that:

  • eighteen proposals would be taken forward and
  • two proposals would need more investigation 
    • these related to the removal of Intimidation Points and Interim Accommodation Points

The Housing Executive is responsible for implementing the proposals in place.

We established the FRA Implementation Project to deliver the eighteen agreed changes and develop options for alternative proposals for the remaining two.

The Project will also:

  • consider the issues raised by respondents and
  • take forward targeted consultation with stakeholders throughout implementation of the changes

What this means for you

The Housing Selection Scheme and Common Waiting List governs the allocation of all permanent social housing in Northern Ireland. 

Customers currently: 

  • complete a single application for social housing
  • are assessed under the rules of the Housing Selection Scheme and
  • if eligible, are then added to the Common Waiting List

Social housing includes both Housing Executive and Housing Association homes. These homes are allocated to the applicant on the waiting list with the highest number of points.

Changes are being made to the Housing Selection Scheme and allocations process. 

These changes should ensure that those in the greatest housing need receive priority and that their time in need is recognised.

This will mean a better, more efficient service for people in housing need.

Every household on the waiting list will be informed of changes at key stages of the Project.

We will also inform political representatives and external stakeholders about these changes. 

The first set of changes were introduced in January 2023. More information on these changes is available at:

Fundamental Review of Allocations stage 1 delivery

A new online platform for housing advice and assistance is also being developed. This will replace existing housing and homeless modules which are staff facing only.  

The new customer facing platform will mean that anyone needing housing advice and assistance can apply online and create an account to manage their application. 

Enabling customers to apply and manage their application online should the ease the administrative burden, allowing our housing advisors more time to provide housing and homelessness advice and assistance. Service provision will remain digital by choice. 

This means that customers will still be able to ask for housing assistance and advice via telephone, or by calling into their local office if they prefer to do so. 

The new platform will go live at the end of Stage 4 delivery with the last set of Proposals to be implemented.


Overview of the Project

There are four key delivery stages involved in the implementation of changes to Housing Selection Scheme and wider allocation policies.

The Project has successfully delivered 10 of the 20 proposals for change and is now within Stage 3.

Stage 1 delivery

The FRA implementation project delivered the first of the changes to the Housing Selection Scheme on 30th January 2023.

Stage 2 delivery

The Housing Selection Scheme Rules associated with Stage 2 delivery are effective from 2 September 2024. 

The second group of changes under the Fundamental Review of Allocations include proposals 6; 12 and 14; and 17 and 18. 

Stage 2 delivery included the implementation of

The purpose of this proposal is to increase awareness of mutual exchange as a housing option.

Improvements to existing service provision should enable social landlords to proactively discuss this housing option with tenants who want or need to move home through tailored advice and assistance.  

Implementation of this proposal has seen the delivery of a new mutual exchange report that will help social landlords find potential matches for eligible tenants seeking an exchange.

A promotional campaign included a mail drop to all tenants with an existing transfer application that has raised awareness of the mutual exchange option for eligible tenants who want or need to move home.

To ensure that the use of the mutual exchange report and associated service provision is in line with Data Protection Regulations, explicit consent from existing transfer applicants will need to be provided.

A consent refresh form was included in the maildrop, which was dispatched to active transfer tenants on the 14th January 2025.

The form was used to provide explicit consent if tenants are interested in mutual exchange as a housing option.

Tenants were also advised within the maildrop that they can provide their consent over the phone.

Once their explicit consent is provided their details can be used to identify potential matches.
 
Explicit consent for eligible tenants applying for a transfer will also be sought if they are interested in mutual exchange as a housing option. 

The HomeSwapper Service has also been promoted at the same. Social landlords can provide assistance to their tenants as to how to register for this service. 

Greater use of mutual exchange as an option for eligible tenants to move home should contribute to the better use of social housing stock and has the potential to create sustainable tenancies. 

More information in relation to mutual exchange and the HomeSwapper service is available at:
Transfers and exchanges

Amendments to existing Housing Selection Scheme Rules (HSS) have been introduced so that social landlords will no longer wait four weeks or use formal offers before designating a property as difficult to let. 

The revised Scheme Rules will allow social landlords the discretion to designate a property difficult to let straight away and seek expressions of interest using the multiple offer process.
 
Changes to the Scheme Rules also mean that the use of multiple offers will not be limited to seeking expressions of interest from ten applicants at a time.
 
Instead, social landlords will be able to seek expressions of interest from as many on the waiting list for a difficult to let property as they consider appropriate, starting from the highest to the lowest pointed relevant applicant.

The policy intent of these changes is not to see an increase in the use of multiple offers. Housing Officers should provide clear rationale as to why they are designating a property as difficult to let.

More information on the multiple offer process is provided in our section:
Allocations

New and revised Housing Selection Scheme (HSS) Rules have been introduced to provide social landlords the discretion to withhold consent to a policy assignment or policy succession in limited circumstances.

Those effected by these new Scheme Rules will have a right to challenge the decision and should be notified of this in writing when a policy assignment is withheld, or policy succession is not granted.

Where a policy assignment is withheld, or policy succession is not granted, the landlord must make one offer of suitable alternative accommodation.  

An applicant will also have a right to challenge the suitability of the offer of alternative accommodation and should be notified of the process in writing when the offer is made. 

The purpose of these proposals is to allow social landlords to make best use of existing stock where it is appropriate to do so. 

Please note that these changes will not impact statutory rights to a legal succession or legal assignments. 

You can read more about succession and assignments in our section:
Tenancy conditions and advice

Summary of further changes within the key delivery stages

Proposal 7
Investigate how to strengthen the verification process and address inconsistencies in the award of intimidation points.

An options appraisal was completed, and the Ministers decision led to these changes being implemented and becoming effective as of the 1st April 2025.

Read the:
Chief Executive's statement on the removal of intimidation points

Proposal 19 (to be delivered Autumn 2025)
Update Housing Selection Scheme to bring it in line with developments in Public Protection Arrangements Northern Ireland (PPANI).

Proposal 2 and 3
Measures to clarify ineligibility around unacceptable behaviour for social housing and homelessness.

Proposal 4
The Housing Executive can meet their homelessness duty on a tenure neutral basis.

Proposal 8
Points should reflect current circumstances.

Proposal 9
Investigate alternative approaches for the award of points to applicants in any form of temporary accommodation.

Proposal 10
The Housing Selection Scheme should place Applicants into bands based on similar levels of need to meet longstanding housing need more effectively.
 
Proposal 11
The Housing Selection Scheme will be amended to generally align the number of bedrooms a household is assessed to need with the size criteria used in the Housing Cost element of Universal Credit / Housing Benefit.

Proposal 13
For difficult to let properties social landlords should be able to use choice-based lettings.

Proposal 20
The Housing Executive will lead a review to determine how specialised properties should be allocated.

The diagram below outlines delivery for each proposal for change. The first two stages have been delivered. 

Text and graphics outlining the timeframe for the Fundamental Review of Allocations project.


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