A housing list shared between the local authorities in the north of the island should make the letting process simpler and more efficient.

The local authorities of Ramsey, Jurby, Bride, Andreas, Lezayre and the Garff ward of Maughold, along with the Department of Infrastructure are exploring working in partnership to allocate their housing to tenants.

To do this, the Northern Area Housing Working Group is to use a shared housing waiting list and a joint allocation process. Housing applicants can then choose properties from the wider area or they can nominate more specific locations.

Michelle Quayle, Ramsey Commissioners’ member for housing and property, said they were pleased to work in partnership with the other local authorities and the Department of Infrastructure.

’This is about providing a housing service that better responds to supply and demand and more closely reflects the needs of the applicants,’ she said.

The two social housing administrators in the north, Ramsey Town Commissioners and the Department of Infrastructure, will write to existing applicants to explain the changes and benefits of the new system.