ONLY people who have lived in Southampton for three years will be able to get on to the council housing list, under proposed new rules.

The Labour city council’s Cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss changing its policy for how housing is allocated.

There are more than 14,000 people on the waiting list for a council house in the city, and civic chiefs have admitted there is a current shortage of social housing.

In order to give priority to Southampton residents in need of a council house, only people who have lived in the city for three years will go on to the waiting list.

If approved the new guidelines will come into force immediately.

Armed services personnel will be exempt from the new rules.

The council guidelines also state that “only applicants in current housing need will be admitted to the housing waiting list”.

Anyone on the list must now tell the council about any change in circumstances within three months, or be removed from the list.

A report on the new rules says widespread consultation has been carried out among tenants, and they were broadly supportive of the proposed housing measures.

Cabinet member for housing and sustainability Councillor Warwick Payne said: “We recognise that there’s not enough social housing in Southampton to meet demand, which means we have to ration how it’s allocated.

“One crucial thing we wanted to show is that resources are being used to help Southampton families.

“From now on it will definitely be a case of local housing for local families.”