Anyone who is using or has used the Cornwall Homechoice housing register to apply for council and housing association homes to rent in Cornwall is being urged to give their thoughts on how the system works and  what can be done to improve it.  

The Cornwall Homechoice Scheme is a common housing register where households can register and apply for affordable homes owned and managed by the council and its partners — collectively known as the Cornwall Homechoice Partnership. 

This includes homes owned and managed by Aster, Coastline, Cornwall Housing, LiveWest, Ocean, Sanctuary and Westward. 

Social homes are in high demand in Cornwall, with over 22,000 households on the Homechoice register, and the council say they want manage them in a way that best meets the needs of residents. 

The council are considering making some changes to the way it allocates social housing in Cornwall. This includes how it let those homes, the priority levels (banding) and how people apply and bid. 

Councillor Olly Monk, Cornwall Council portfolio holder for housing said: “Cornwall is faced with an unprecedented housing crisis.  

“How we allocate social housing needs to be transparent, fair and easily understood by applicants and offer real choice.  

“We have to prioritise our residents who are in most housing need and must do all that we can to ensure that our most vulnerable residents have access to available homes at a rent they can afford.  

“We also need key workers to support the services we all use, from nurses and teachers to hospitality workers and refuse collectors – and we need to help them find a home they can afford.

“As a council we are doing all we can to support residents to find the homes they need — from building and buying more homes to working with government to introduce double council tax on second homes and limiting the number of holiday lets through the planning  process.  

“As a partnership, we are reviewing the way Homechoice works to provide the best opportunity to support those most in housing need.” 

This survey will close at 5pm on Friday, August 25.

• For more information or to have a say visit letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/allocation-policies