Amendments to public sector general needs housing income thresholds

Feedback updated 23 Jul 2026

We asked

We asked for views on a package of proposed changes to public sector housing policy, including:

Updating income threshold eligibility to better reflect current economic conditions, including the introduction of annual CPI‑linked uplifts
Amending the points schedule to place greater emphasis on housing need; and
Introducing some discretion in relation to residential qualification (3 months immediately before allocation of any property, 3 years within a Local Authority area to qualify for that area) and reflecting within policy the existing legislative 10 years residential discretion

You said

The consultation received 320 responses including responses from five Local Authorities.

Across all consultation responses, several themes emerged consistently:

Protecting housing for Manx residents and long-term contributors
Ensuring fairness between different household types
Maintaining social housing as a safety net rather than a default housing option
Promoting transparency, accountability and public confidence in decision-making

We did

The consultation demonstrated broad support for modernising the allocations policy, particularly updating income thresholds and making housing need the primary factor in allocation decisions. However, respondents strongly emphasised that any expansion of eligibility or use of discretion must be accompanied by transparent governance, clear guidance and robust safeguards to maintain public confidence in the fairness of the social housing system.

Results updated 23 Jul 2026

Files:

Amendments to Allocations Policy Consultation Report, 417.6 KB (PDF document)

Overview

The Public Sector Housing (General Needs) (Allocation) Policy 2019 is currently undergoing a full review. Because this review is extensive, the Housing Agency (on behalf of the Department of Infrastructure) is proposing to introduce several essential changes ahead of the full update.

These early amendments focus on improving fairness, clarity, and consistency in how public sector housing is allocated. We are seeking your views on three key proposed changes:

Updating income eligibility thresholds and introducing automatic annual uplifts
Removing certain 'priority' points that do not reflect housing need
Introducing discretion for local housing authorities on residential requirements

Why your views matter

Your feedback plays a vital role in shaping how public sector housing is allocated. The proposed changes aim to make the system fairer, clearer, and more responsive — but it is essential that the people who use, rely on, or are affected by the policy have the opportunity to influence it.

By sharing your views, you help us to:

Understand real‑life experiences of those navigating the housing system
Identify unintended impacts that may not be visible from data alone
Test whether the proposed changes feel fair and workable for households and communities
Ensure the policy reflects local needs and values, not just administrative requirements
Strengthen transparency and accountability in how decisions are made

Public sector housing policy affects thousands of people. Your insight helps ensure that the system is not only technically sound but also grounded in the lived realities of the community it serves.

Your views will assist the Department in finalising the draft amendments to the existing Allocations Policy ahead of being taken to Tynwald for formal approval.

Reasonable adjustments and alternative formats

The Department is committed to equal opportunities and our aim is to make our documents easy to use and accessible to all.

The Department will take steps to accommodate any reasonable adjustments and provide such assistance as may reasonably be required to enable access or reply to this consultation.

If this document is required in another format or assistance is required with accessing or replying to this consultation, please email Lisa.philliskirk@gov.im

Responding to this consultation and questions

This consultation can be responded to by clicking on the 'Online survey' link below.

Alternatively you can download a paper version of this consultation from the 'Related' section below and email it to Lisa.philliskirk@gov.im or post it to:

Lisa Philliskirk
Head of Housing
2nd Floor Markwell House,
Market St,
Douglas,
IM1 2RJ

What happens next

The feedback from this consultation will be reviewed by the Housing Agency Board and will give direction to any final changes to be made to the general needs public sector housing allocation policy. It is anticipated that the amendments will be brought to Tynwald for approval in July 2026.

Areas

All Areas

Audiences

All residents

Interests

Housing
Policies, strategies & plans