Changes to council housing rules have been made after an ‘unprecedented’ increase in demand, Wokingham Borough Council have announced. 

The new regulations, which came into effect on April 1, will bring the council’s policies in line with other local authorities, having not been updated for more than six years. 

The borough’s assistant director of housing, Simon Price, said: “The pressure on our social housing stock is growing year on year and we need to make sure that we have robust and clear policies to protect and make good quality social housing available to our most vulnerable residents.” 

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As well as a rising demand for social housing, which the council puts down to the impact of the pandemic, the regulations have been updated after the government outlined changes to the law in its latest Social Housing Reform white paper. 

Under the new rules, all applicants will be required to prove that they, or a member of their household, have lived in the borough for at least five years consecutively and still do at the time of applying. 

Applicants who are offered suitable and affordable accommodation but turn the offer down without a valid reason will now be removed from the housing register for 12 months. 

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“Housing plays a huge role in our health and wellbeing and is so important to our economic well-being. Everyone has a right to safe, secure housing,” said Price.