West Northamptonshire Council is considering changing the criteria for its social housing allocation scheme following a surge in applications.

A cabinet report ahead of a meeting next Tuesday reveals that the number of housing register applications seen by the council has increased by 77% over the last year, with 13,317 having been received by March 2026.

With its current housing allocations system having been implemented in April 2024, the local authority has confirmed that it is now completing a ‘comprehensive review’ of the scheme to ensure it meets growing demand.

According to the report, the proposed amendments will aim to boost access to social and affordable housing for vulnerable members of the community. It seeks to deliver support to groups including people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, people impacted by domestic abuse, people at risk of exploitation, and people with complex needs.

It is intended to prioritise those with ‘verified and evidenced housing needs’, as well as ‘supporting households who do not meet the threshold to explore alternative options such as private renting, low-cost home ownership, and mutual exchange for existing social tenants’, the report explains.

‘This will ensure that scarce housing resources are directed to those with the highest and most urgent need’, it reads.

Among the proposed changes are requirements for applicants to provide evidence of a stronger local and familial connection to the area, while also proving that their employment circumstances meet local criteria.

It would also involve alterations to the conditions of its Band A to D system, which prioritises people in terms of urgency of need, in addition to changing the income thresholds for applications to £40,000 for single applicants and £50,000 for single parent applicants.