PEOPLE applying for social housing in Hartlepool will be able to request a specific house from next week.

Housing Hartlepool and Hartlepool Borough Council are bringing in the changes from June 18.

Under Choice Based Lettings (CBL), homes being allocated by the housing authority will be widely advertised estate agent-style. Social housing applicants, including existing tenants seeking a move, will be able to apply for a particular home.

The process for assessing and prioritising applications is easier to understand with a banding system. Those with more pressing needs will be placed in a higher band.

Applicants will be able to see the full range of available properties and can bid for any home within their housing needs band.

The successful bidder will be the one with the highest priority under the scheme for that type of property.

Anthony Scarre, Housing Hartlepool housing manager, said: "The new system is more transparent and offers more choice.

"An applicant will have more chance to pick out where they would like to live if their application is successful.

"People will be able to bid for homes which for example, a single person will not be eligible to try for a three bedroomed house.

"Homes will still be allocated to the people who have been assessed to have the greatest housing need."