Care leavers and long term Rotherham residents to be given top priority under new council housing rules

Applicants will normally need to have lived or worked in Rotherham for three of the past four years to qualify.

placeholder image — Applicants will normally need to have lived or worked in Rotherham for three of the past four years to qualify.

Care leavers and local residents will be given greater priority when bidding for social housing under a new policy agreed by Rotherham Council.

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council’s cabinet is set to off a wide-ranging update to its Housing Allocation Policy on September 15, marking the first major overhaul since 2014. The new rules, set to come into force from December, will shape how council homes are allocated across the borough for the next five years.

At the heart of the changes is a pledge to support young people leaving care. They will now be placed in the highest priority housing band, helping them move on to independent accommodation when ready. Out-of-borough care leavers will receive lower priority unless reciprocal agreements are in place with other councils.

The policy also tightens residency rules, meaning applicants will normally need to have lived or worked in Rotherham for three of the past four years to qualify. Council leaders said the move is aimed at ensuring local families are at the front of the queue.

Other changes include stricter rules on applicants evicted from past tenancies, though exemptions will apply if rent arrears have been repaid in full, and revisions to tenancy types for people without indefinite leave to remain.

The council says the overhaul follows a 12-week public consultation, with more than 200 responses received.