PEOPLE looking to find a home in Basingstoke and Deane will be given extra support after an extra £130,000 has been invested into the borough council’s housing service.

To support residents in making an application to get onto Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's housing register additional funding has been approved to employ two new housing officers. The extra money was approved at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, September 5, to support the delivery of the council plan priorities.

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The new officers will work closely with residents to understand their needs when making an application and provide additional support to those who need it when they are bidding for new homes through the council’s social rented lettings system, Homebid.

In September, there were 4,900 people currently on the housing register waiting to be matched to a home.

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Cabinet member for residents’ services and ousing, Cllr Laura James, said: “The growing number of people on the housing register, the waiting time for properties to become available and the growing gap between the cost of renting privately and what residents can afford is making finding a home even more challenging.

“Our priority is doing everything we can to make it easier for people to get onto the housing register and to ensure their application reflects the needs they have. Our additional investment will ensure our housing team can work more closely with residents when joining the housing register and support them when bidding for a home.”

For more information about the housing options available in the borough, visit basingstoke.gov.uk/housing.