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81
Points Scheme.—At the beginning of the year an important
modification in the operation of the points scheme was introduced.
The Housing Committee had been concerned for some time over
the position of families who had been waiting for many years for
accommodation but whose awards of points were not quite sufficient
for them to be dealt with. These families were being passed over
because of the more recently registered applicants coming on the
list with more points. Sometimes this was due to those older
registered applicants having made efforts to improve their housing
circumstances with the result that their points were lowered but
they were still unsatisfactorily housed.
In order to amend this position the Committee decided that
a " date order " list should be introduced. In order to qualify for
this list an applicant has to have a minimum of 15 basic points.
Applications are then dealt with in order of date of registration
and are considered for either new property or the higher standard
requisitioned properties. This scheme was operated during the
year and went a long way to meet a considerable amount of criticism
from a section of applicants on the Housing Register.
Applicants of more recent registration with high points still
have an opportunity of obtaining accommodation in requisitioned
properties.
Transfers.—266 transfers were effected during the year, a large
proportion being from requisitioned accommodation to permanent
properties. 28 of the transfers were from requisitioned accommodation
to enable such properties to be handed back to owners.
The general policy having regard to moves from requisitioned
accommodation to permanent property is " first in first out," that is
to say those families longest in requisitioned accommodation being
given the first opportunity to move. In addition a certain amount
of under occupation has been corrected by means of transfer.
Mutual Exchanges.—51 mutual exchanges were arranged during
1952 compared with 58 in 1951. This continues to be a particularly
satisfactory way of dealing with housing problems since with
every exchange at least two family problems are dealt with. On
occasion three or four-way exchanges have been fixed up."