MERGER TO CUT WAITING LISTS (From Warrington Guardian)

MERGER TO CUT WAITING LISTS

HOUSING red tape is to be scaled back in Halton after the five major housing providers agreed to merge their waiting lists.

From April this year, people seeking accommodation from the council or one of the four housing associations operating in the borough will fill out one form, as opposed to applying to each agency separately.

The aim of the initiative is to pool resources and speed up the process of alloting homes.

All prospective tenants will be registered on a central database. The agreement has been reached after two years of discussions.

Explaining the delay, a Halton Council spokesperson said: "Producing the common register took much discussion and thought; all the partners wanted to ensure a good service would be provided."

The council's chair of housing, Cllr Marie Wright, praised the streamlining initiative, which was first mooted four years ago.

She said: "This is the culmination of a lot of hard work.

"I am delighted to see the project get off the ground and it will bring benefit to all the people in Halton who are in need of housing."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.