A REVOLUTIONARY new way of allocating council housing which favours York people is on the cards.

City of York Council wants to move from the traditional points-based system to a "band approach" to make the system fairer.

Applicants would be placed in five bands, with those in A having the highest priority and those in E, which would include people from outside the city, being the lowest.

There were 4,000 people on the waiting list in April 2005, but the council managed to find only 600 secure lettings in the last financial year.

Labour group housing spokesman Councillor David Horton said there had been little change in the number of people on the waiting list, with the figure standing at between 4,000 and 4,500 for several years.

Now the council wants to overhaul the system and match more people to the properties available.

Housing services manager Paul Morrison admits there is a "high demand for the limited stock of affordable housing in York".

The council wants to favour people brought up in the city who are still living with their parents and have been on the waiting list a long time.

Coun Andrew Waller, executive member for environment and sustainability, said: "The aim is to make the system more transparent and to give priority to people who have been waiting longest.

"People who have been good neighbours and good tenants will get priority and they will be given a ranking rather than a place on a list.

"There will be five gradings - very urgent, high priority, medium, low priority and no priority. Those who have been waiting longest and have the most need will be in the critical group."

:: BAND A, "very urgent", will be for people with a local connection to York or who are accepted as homeless, who are also fleeing violence, have serious health or wellbeing issues, or are forced to move because of council repairs.

:: BAND B, "high priority", will contain people with a local connection or accepted as homeless, who have learning, mental health or care needs, or have homes in disrepair or lacking facilities such as a suitable bathroom.

:: BAND C, "medium priority", will contain people with a local connection who need to move to access work or schools, or who are living in overcrowded homes.

:: BAND D, "low priority", is for people with a local connection who are on benefits, have to share a living room, kitchen or bathroom with another household, families who are separated and those living in private rented accommodation which is too big.

:: BAND E, "no priority", is for people who live in York in adequate housing or people from outside the city.

The new approach, which follows a review of alternative systems, will be considered by the executive member for housing and advisory panel on Monday.

In a report to the panel, Mr Morrison says consultation has taken place, including presentations and a public meeting on the options which are:

Accept the new "band approach" policy

Retain the existing system

Make amendments to the proposed new policy.

Currently, people can still be on the waiting list even if they have carried out acts of anti-social behaviour for which they would have been evicted by the council.

Under the new system, someone guilty of such behaviour would be excluded from the list for a period.

All homeless people will also be rehoused through the band system, which replaces the previous system where they could choose between two areas to be rehoused for four months.

Now the homeless will be able to choose from at least two of four areas - west, east, north and central - as well as villages.

At the moment, homeless families are only placed in flats or maisonettes above ground-floor level on a temporary basis.

Under the proposal, families with children will be offered these types of accommodation, helping reduce pressure on two-bedroom houses.

A report to councillors states that if the second option - to keep the status quo - wins support the authority will lose the chance to improve the service.

If the third choice is accepted it would be brought back to a future meeting for agreement.

:: System has failed us, say family

LAST year the Evening Press highlighted the plight of a family of four, forced to live in a one-bedroom council flat in Acomb, York.

Today, Sarah Warriner, her partner, Martin Lambert, and their two sons, Nathan and Hayden, are still waiting.

The family have now been on the housing waiting list for more than FIVE years - and have actually dropped further down the priority list.

Sarah, 30, told the Evening Press she had "lost all faith" in the system.

She said: "It's been five years and we are only ranked 78th on the waiting list to move somewhere bigger."

The couple have had to cram a bed for four-year-old Nathan and a cot for two-year-old Hayden into their cramped flat in Ascot Way.

Sarah, who works at the Tesco store at Askham Bar, said: "The current waiting list system has failed us. I've known people with just one child who have been moved into three-bedroom houses while we are still stuck in this flat.

"I don't understand the system - but I do know that it is unfair and it has let us down.

"The simple problem is that there just are not enough houses to go round, especially two-bedroom ones. As far as I can see there is no hope for the future.

"Unless they actually build more, I can't imagine the new system will make the slightest bit of difference to us. I have no faith in it at all."

Updated: 09:59 Wednesday, August 31, 2005