2.—(1) Where—
(a)a person applies to the Council for assistance under Part VII of the Act (homelessness); or
(b)a person applies to a local housing authority other than the Council for such assistance and, but for the provisions of paragraphs (2) and (3), the conditions specified in section 198(2) of the Act (referral of case to another authority) for referral of the case to the Council are satisfied,
sections 183 to 218 of the Act shall be subject to the following provisions of this article.
(2) A person is not eligible for assistance by the Council if he has not been resident in the district of the Council for a period of two years and six months during the period of three years immediately prior to his application.
(3) Where a person is not excluded from assistance by the Council by paragraph (2)—
(a)he has a local connection with the district of the Council; and
(b)section 199 of the Act (local connection) shall not apply for the purpose of determining whether he has a local connection with the district of the Council.