Social housing

We provide a variety of properties for rent through Choice-based lettings schemes operated by local councils across East Anglia. If you would like to live in a home owned or managed by us, you will need to contact your local council - we do not have our own waiting list for housing.

 

 

What is Choice-based lettings?

Choice-based lettings (CBL) is a government scheme that aims to give social housing customers more control on where they want to live - allowing applicants to play an active role in expressing where they wish to live. Properties are advertised in a similar way as you would see homes for sale or for rent in the paper or estate agent; but rather than cost being a determining factor in deciding where you may wish to live, the council uses housing need as the basis for allocating homes.

 

What schemes are available?

 

Flagship Kings' Forest

Our social housing properties can be rented through contacting Forest Heath District Council. The council operates a CBL scheme called Home Link. This advertises available properties on a fortnightly basis, and to be part of the scheme you will need to register with the council first to have your application assessed. To register with the scheme, please visit the Home Link website. Alternatively you may wish to contact the Kings' Forest Housing options team on 01638 719345.

 

Flagship Peddars Way

Flagship Peddars Way currently operates within four CBL Schemes - Home Options which is Norwich City Council, Broadland District Council and South Norfolk , Great Yarmouth Borough and Waveney District Council's Home Select, and West Norfolk Homechoice which is King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council. North Norfolk District Council currently operates under the Your Choice Your Home scheme. Breckland Council's Key Select is launching shortly. If you would like any information please call 01842 756422, or e-mail housingregister@arptrading.co.uk.

 

Flagship Suffolk Heritage

Flagship Suffolk Heritage operates within two CBL schemes - Homeselect, which operates in Great Yarmouth and Waveney, and the Greater Haven Gateway sub-region CBL scheme called Gateway to Homechoice. This is a a newly-launched scheme which includes Suffolk Coastal District Council, Babergh District Council, Braintree District Council, Colchester Borough Council, Ipswich Borough Council, Maldon District Council and Mid Suffolk District Council.

 

How do I apply?

The CBL schemes do vary slightly in the way they operate, but the principles remain the same:

• All new prospective general needs customers and transfer applicants apply to the local authority to register. Once accepted, they will be advised of their banding priority and advised on what they need to do to bid (apply) for a vacant property.
• Applicants are placed within housing need bands based on their individual housing circumstances. Banding titles vary between schemes. For example, numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, letters A, B, C, D or as with the Greater Norwich Scheme, Gold, Silver, Bronze and low priority. The highest priorities are 1, A or Gold.
• Applicants falling within these bands will be assessed as having the greatest need (for example homeless applicants or those with an urgent medical need). Most schemes also operate an emergency card system.
• Why not check out Housingnet's Points calculator to work out how many points your circumstances would receive.

All properties are advertised either via the internet, newsletters and other forms of media and the bidding cycle can be weekly or fortnightly, depending on the CBL scheme. Our Community Managers play an active part in this by loading the information directly onto the CBL website.

 

What happens next?

Once a property becomes available, we supply the relevant council with information relating to the type of property, its location, rental costs and any special features so that an advert can be prepared. This advert is designed to give you sufficient information upon which to make an informed decision as to whether or not you would like to make the property your new home.

You are allowed to express an interest in two to three properties per cycle (depending on the CBL scheme) with bids open from Thursday when the newsletter comes out to the following Wednesday. Our Community Managers carry out the shortlisting process, and will notify the candidate with the highest priority of their successful bid. The Community Manager responsible for the property will then make arrangements to meet you at the property and discuss your particular needs and what work you would wish to see carried out in your new home.
 
If you are looking for affordable housing in East Anglia, view our where we work section. You can find out how many social housing properties we run in your area, as well as details of how to get in touch with your local authority.

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Last updated: 23 August 2010