A NEW scheme is to be launched to make it easier for people to find a rented home in the city.

At present, there are around 110,000 properties in Glasgow owned and managed by 68 registered social landlords – compared to the rest of Scotland, they tend to be smaller associations.

Under the current system, people need to apply separately to each organisation with stock in the areas where they want to live.

This means there are multiple waiting lists across the city and no way to accurately measure demand for social rented housing as applicants can be on many different lists at the same time.

In a bid to make it easier for people looking for a home, a pilot project, which should be up and running by autumn, is being developed to cover the North West of Glasgow.

If it proves successful, the scheme will be rolled out to cover the rest of the city.

Some of the housing associations involved in the scheme include Cadder, Cernach, Charing Cross, Drumchapel Housing Co-op and

Wheatley Group, the umbrella organisation of Glasgow Housing Association.

It will involve a common housing register being set up which will mean house hunters will only have to fill in one application form.

The information will be held on a database on a single waiting list which is then shared with the registered social landlords chosen by the applicant.

A report says: “The introduction of a Glasgow housing register will bring significant benefits to applicants, landlords and to the city council as strategic housing authority for the city.

“It will make it easier to apply for social housing, reduce duplication and increase operational efficiency for housing providers and provide a more robust estimate of housing need for strategic planning in the city.

“Due to the large number of registered social landlords operating in Glasgow, each with differing processes and policies for allocating housing to applicants, it has been agreed a pilot common housing register should be established in the North West of the City.

“It is proposed it will be rolled out citywide following a robust and positive evaluation process.”