SEARCH is going online!
The Single East Ayrshire Common Housing Register (SEARCH) application is going online.
Online SEARCH is an exciting new platform developed by Housing Services in partnership with software company, MRI. Applicants create an account then can apply for housing, manage their application, view their list position and contact Housing Services directly through a personalised portal. .
The system will speed up the housing application and allocation process, which will be fully digital from completing the application form to the applicant receiving their keys.
Councillor Jim McMahon, Spokesperson for Housing, Welfare and Poverty, Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Addiction and Recovery said: “Housing Services have written to existing housing applicants to explain the new online system and to reassure people that they do not have to re-apply for housing. Our applicants will remain on the relevant list, with the same points and same date of application.
“Once our existing applicants have been contacted and have logged-in to their personalised accounts, the new system will be rolled out to new applicants, which we are hoping will be by the end of April.
“Being able to apply for housing online is a game changer. This is going to make the application process much easier and people will then be able to view their list position and manage their application online. This is a sector leading online platform that has been developed by teams within the Council with our SEARCH partners, and I am very proud of what we have achieved.”
The online housing application system has been tested and developed in consultation with the East Ayrshire Federation of Tenants and Residents and our SEARCH partners – namely Atrium Homes, Cunninghame Housing Association, Riverside Scotland Housing Association and Shire Housing Association
If you are an existing applicant and would like more information or if you have a new email address that needs to be added to your application please contact the Council’s Housing Register Team by email: HousingAdminRegisterTeam@east-ayrshire.gov.uk. If you don’t have internet access or email you can call the team on 01563 554400.