The system – known as EH - Your Key to Choice – has transformed the way people seek social housing. Rather than being allocated points and sitting on a waiting list, citizens are enabled to bid for up to three homes in whatever area of the city they choose. The EH - Your Key to Choice on-line service has proved incredibly popular, and now more that 60 per cent of citizens seek social housing on-line. So far, more than 5000 homes have now been let through Choice. To further improve this service, the EH – Your Key to Choice supplement will now be published weekly. This will enable citizens to bid up to three times per week, rather than per fortnight.
The system was implemented by the council and BT, the city’s strategic technology partner, as part of a much broader Smart City programme to transform the way in which the city delivers services to the citizen.
Citizens like the system because it offers clear information about each of the properties available and allows them to bid for properties that are suited to their needs, or the needs of their families.
In addition, the Council has found that property, which was regularly refused in the past, is now being taken up. Often, people at the top of the list refused property, although it would often be suitable for others. Property is now being filled more quickly and it is hoped that citizens will stay in their homes longer as they have been able to choose where they live.
Citizens like the system because it offers clear information about each of the properties available and allows them to bid for properties that are suited to their needs, or the needs of their families.
Councillor Sheila Gilmore, Executive Member for Community Safety and Housing commented, “When Choice was launched two years ago it was a massive step forward in the way that people could apply for a council home. Now, the move to weekly advertising is set to give anyone looking for a council home even more choice. Choice has real benefits for customers and the Council – customers know what we have available and they choose which homes they wish to bid for. We will continue to develop and improve the system to help our customers.”
The full list of available homes will be published every Monday in the Edinburgh Evening News, as well as on the Choice website. Anyone who would like to apply for a home can also collect a free copy of the Choice supplement from any of the Council’s five local area housing offices, or surf the net for free at their local library.
EH - Your Key to Choice is part of a common housing register called EdIndex which allows customers to apply for homes from landlords and housing organizations city wide in one application. EdIndex now has 22,000 registered households making it the largest common housing register in Scotland.
To apply for a home through EH – Your Key to Choice, an EdIndex form must be completed. This gives home-seekers the opportunity to apply for available council homes, as well as access properties from 25 Registered Social Landlords.
EH - Your Key to Choice is part of the City of Edinburgh Council's Smart City vision which aims to develop new ways for the public to access Council services using new technology.
Quelle: Publictechnology, 28.06.2005
