Thousands in Exeter stuck in council house limbo

A huge backlog in processing new, renewals or amended applications is preventing thousands from bidding on a council house. Currently there are currently 3,584 applicants awaiting to join online service Devon Home Choice in Exeter.

Exeter City Council (ECC) has confirmed it is currently dealing with applications made in August and is recruiting extra staff to deal with the backlog. It has blamed an increase in applications being made.

However, in the meantime, the backlog has left people in limbo and unable to bid for a home such as Kate Parsons who is battling against cancer while also trying to find a new home to move into in the city.

Kate and her partner Brett Jones currently live in a two-bed social housing property in St Thomas with their 20-year-old disabled son and three-year-old daughter. They have now been on the housing list for four years and each year they have to renew their application to stay on the housing list. Their last renewal was at the beginning of this September.

Brett explained that when a renewal is applied for, the account becomes deactivated until it is reviewed by Devon County Council and then reinstated by Exeter City Council after the application is processed. Until then it is not possible to bid on any properties.

In previous years, Brett says it has only taken between a week to 10 days. However, this year the wait has been far longer and their account has still not been reactivated.

When Kate rang ECC this week for an update, she says she was told there is a backlog but it was not confirmed whether they wait for them to begin looking for properties again would be weeks or months.

Brett said: "We urgently require an upgrade from a two-bedroom house to a three-bedroom house as Kate is a cancer patient with a very restricted life currently. We also have a disabled adult son and a three year old daughter which necessitates a change of housing.

"We have patiently been biding our time and renewing each year as instructed. It's a baffling system.

"There is a massive demand for housing but that's a separate issue because we're talking about a separate issue where people can't bid for houses and others could jump the queue. It seems an unfair system and I wonder how many other people are in the same boat as us?"

Devon Home Choice is a service that allows people to apply for and find social housing in Devon, including homes from local authorities and housing associations. People can apply online, by downloading an application form, or by visiting a council office.

An Exeter City Council spokesman said: “We can’t comment on individual circumstances but there has been a general increase in demand in applications in Exeter which has led to a delay in applications and changes in circumstances being assessed. We rely on applicants to notify us of any changes of circumstances that may impact upon their priority and number of bedrooms required.

"We are currently working on reducing any delays on new applications and changes of circumstances and are currently processing applications from the end of August 2024. There are currently 339 new applications and 264 changes of circumstances in Exeter. Exeter is currently recruiting additional staff to address the backlog which we hope to complete in as short a time as possible."