Home Choice Plus

From Spring 2026 the Home Choice Plus Partnership will no longer exist. The three local authority partners - Bromsgrove, Stratford on Avon and Wyre Forest - will be implementing stand alone housing register policies and systems individually. You do not need to do anything at the moment, but we will be contacting you with more information about this in the New Year.

For Wyre Forest District Council, a new policy and system will be in place from April 2026 and the Council will contact you by email with more information and about how to reregister in the new year. Please make sure your email address is up to date on Home Choice Plus. 

After the Christmas and New Year period, Home Choice Plus has returned to its usual weekly bidding cycle.

The cycle runs from just after midnight on a Tuesday and ends at midnight the following Monday night.

Remember that you don't have to bid as soon as the cycle goes live - your position for any property you place a bid on will depend on your banding and band start date. When you place the bid is not taken into account.

Any questions about your application, please get in touch with the local authority or its agent dealing with your application. 

This year on Home Choice Plus, there will be a 2 week bidding cycle over the Christmas period.

The 2 week cycle commences on Tuesday 17th December 2024 and will run until midnight on Monday 30 December 2024. 

The usual weekly bidding cycle will start again from Tuesday 31 December 2024. 

The government has issued a response to last year's consultation on proposed changes to social housing allocation tests. The response can be read here: Government response to the consultation on changes to social housing allocation tests - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The government has recently consulted on reforms to social housing allocations. The consultation period ended after 26 March 2024.

The consultation sought views on the following issues:

- the introduction of a UK connection test to ensure that it is those with the closest connection to the UK who are eligible for a social home

- mandating the following tests: local connection test, income test, false statement test, and tests for anti social behaviour and terrorism offences

- the introduction of a new ground for eviction for those who are convicted of terrorism offences and implementation of a three strikes and you're out policy for anti social behaviour

The changes, if introduced, will apply to new applicants and all existing applicants on Home Choice Plus. 

The link to the consultation is here:  Consultation on reforms to social housing allocations - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Any changes to the Home Choice Plus policy in light of this consultation will be notified in due course.