Your complete guide to rehousing

Transcription

1 Resource & Training Information Feel good about coming home Housing Management Services Social & Financial Inclusion Services Your complete guide to rehousing Feel Good About Coming Home

2 2 your complete guide to rehousing Contents Ways to move 5 Swapping homes 5 Moving to another area 6 Apply to your local council for housing and advice 7 Moving to a smaller home 7 Are you overcrowded? 8 Moving into a privately rented property 8 Seaside and Country Homes scheme 9 Housing for older people 9 Home Ownership Options 9 Applying for a transfer 12 Introduction 12 Who can apply? 12 Who can I include in my application? 13 What documents do I need to provide? 13 How can I move if I have health or disability problems? 14

3 your complete guide to rehousing 3 What priority will I get? 14 How many bedrooms will I be offered? 15 How can I apply for older people s housing? 16 How can I apply for an adapted home? 16 How many offers will I receive? 17 What should I do if my circumstances change? 17 Using our choice- based lettings scheme 18 How do I take part? 19 How can I find out what properties are available? 19 What properties can I bid for? 20 How do I place a bid? 20 What happens after I make a bid? 20 I don t have a computer how can I take part? 21 I still need help taking part what support is available? 21 How do I find out the result of an advert? 21 I keep bidding but haven t got an offer what else can I do? 22

4 4 your complete guide to rehousing If you want to move, this leaflet sets out the main ways you can find a new home. Most tenants will not be able to join our Transfer list as this is reserved for those in the most urgent need and we only have a limited number of homes available for our own tenants. However there are lots of other ways you can move, depending on your circumstances. Please note: this leaflet explains various changes to our policies that take effect between February and April For detailed advice about your own situation please contact us on and press option 2.

5 your complete guide to rehousing 5 Ways to move There are a number of rehousing options available. We strongly recommend that you consider every option as we are unable to help most tenants looking for a transfer. Swapping homes Swapping by mutual exchange is a great way to move to somewhere you choose for yourself. Thousands of housing association and council tenants around the country are looking for a swap, including many downsizing from larger family homes. You must have a clear rent account and get our permission before you swap homes. We recommend as it is the biggest national scheme. It is free to join for Family Mosaic tenants. There are other schemes available including which may charge a small fee for membership. Many tenants find a swap through adverts in local newspapers and websites. Once you log in you can register and search for a swap. If you don t find a suitable property immediately, please keep trying as more people are joining these schemes all the time. Once you ve found someone who wants to swap with you, call us on option 2 to apply for permission. If you swap and downsize we can help you with the costs of moving by offering generous moving payments

6 6 your complete guide to rehousing and removal expenses. Please ask for our leaflet called Your guide to successful swapping. Moving to another area Generally, if you want to move to a council or housing association home in a different area you should contact the local council in that area. You are more likely to be offered help if you have a strong local connection. The help offered may include advice about renting a home in the private sector. To find contact details for any local council, see and click on the A-Z of local councils. Depending on local arrangements and your transfer priority, we may make enquiries on your behalf with other housing associations and local councils. They have no obligation to help and will usually require you to apply to join their Housing Register. If you want to move within the London area, the Housing Moves scheme may offer a solution. This is the Mayor of London s housing mobility scheme that allows tenants of London boroughs or housing associations to move outside their existing borough to a different part of London. It is run by the Greater London Authority and the majority of London boroughs and housing associations are participating. Priority is given to downsizers and those who wish to move to be closer to employment or higher education, or to provide care to family members or friends. For more information see

7 your complete guide to rehousing 7 If you want to move out of London, swapping is still your best bet. Some local authorities operate schemes to help local residents move to other parts of the UK. Contact your local council for more information. Apply to your local council for housing and advice Your local council s Housing Department may be able to help you with rehousing but they will have a long waiting list. They will assess your needs according to their own policy. Most local councils run choice-based letting schemes which allow you to see what properties are available and express an interest by placing one or more bids. They will offer you advice about other more realistic options for moving, including swapping and renting in the private sector. If you feel you are unable to continue living in your current home and you have no other place to stay, please contact your local council. They will investigate your circumstances and offer advice and information, including the availability of any temporary accommodation. Moving to a smaller home We give top priority and financial help to tenants who want to downsize. We give particular priority to downsizers who are affected by the Bedroom Tax. There are other options to consider too including swapping homes. Your local council is likely to help you find a smaller home in return for nominating someone to your home when you move.

8 8 your complete guide to rehousing You may also qualify for a downsizing payment from your local council. Are you overcrowded? We no longer accept transfer applications from tenants who are overcrowded. However, we run the Next Generation scheme to help overcrowded families who are lacking one or more bedrooms and have an adult son or daughter within the household who would like to be re-housed separately into a studio or one-bedroomed flat. We set a quota for the number of people we can help each year. Approved applicants can take part in our choice-based lettings scheme and will need to participate in a programme of employment and training support and advice provided by our employment team. There are many tenants in homes that are too large for them who are looking for a swap to somewhere smaller, especially since welfare reforms were introduced. You may find a larger home by using one of our recommended swapping schemes. Moving into a privately rented property There is good quality privately rented accommodation in London. Your local council may run a Landlord Accreditation scheme to improve standards in this type of accommodation. All local councils can provide advice on renting in the private sector. For further information contact your local council s Housing Advice / Options department.

9 your complete guide to rehousing 9 Seaside and Country Homes scheme This scheme provides opportunities for tenants living in Greater London to move. At least one member of the household must be aged 60 or older. The scheme s landlords manage approximately 3,500 bungalows and flats throughout the country in coastal and seaside areas. More details can be obtained from or by ringing Housing for older people We keep our own waiting list for occasional vacancies in our sheltered housing schemes. You can also apply to your local council or the council where you want to move to. We also hold details of selfcontained homes reserved for older people elsewhere in the UK owned and managed by other social landlords to which we may be able to make a referral on your behalf, or you can apply online. Home Ownership Options There are a variety of products available that are aimed at making it possible to buy a property that otherwise would not have been affordable. For the most up-to-date information on all current products please contact our sales team on or register at Shared Ownership is a government-backed scheme that aims to help first-time buyers and is designed as a stepping stone to

10 10 your complete guide to rehousing completely owning your own home. You buy a share in the property, normally by getting a mortgage, and pay a subsidised rent on the share owned by the housing association. Your monthly mortgage and rent can work out cheaper than buying outright, and often not much more than renting. You can buy further shares (Staircasing) when you can afford to and eventually own the property outright, or sell your share and move if you want to in the future. Buying through Shared Ownership makes you an owner-occupier, not a part tenant, so you can enjoy all the benefits of being an owner in a home that you would not be able to afford to buy on the open market. You will own part of the value of your home, rather than paying rent with no return. Most homes will be in new housing developments or refurbished buildings, however resales are also available. A resale is a Shared Ownership property that was previously purchased and is now available for sale by the current owner. To qualify for a resale, you must be able to raise the purchase price of at least the current owner s share in the property and be able to afford all the monthly payments. You need to be 18 years old or over and would normally have to be in full-time employment to secure a mortgage, and pass a financial assessment. You will also need to have sufficient savings to cover the costs of buying such as a mortgage deposit, solicitors fees, local searches and a valuation report. There is also a government tax collected by HMRC called Stamp Duty which is payable on homes

11 your complete guide to rehousing 11 worth 125,001 and above. As a housing association tenant, you will be prioritised for schemes in the borough in which you live. For more information on shared ownership contact our sales team Website: programme from the Mayor of London, helping low and modest income Londoners to buy or rent at a price they can afford. On this site you can find all the FIRST STEPS properties, including ours, in one place. sales@familymosaic.co.uk Phone: To search for properties available through Shared Ownership: Website: Share to Buy is the affordable homes property portal for FIRST STEPS which is the official intermediate housing

12 12 your complete guide to rehousing Applying for a transfer Introduction We now keep a very limited transfer list for tenants with very urgent housing needs. From the 1 st of February 2014 we stopped accepting transfer applications from people with non-urgent needs. This includes those who need to move because of overcrowding or poor health or a disability. People with these needs who were already on the list in February 2014 will be removed from it on the 1 st of October Our housing transfer list is open only for tenants: yin the most urgent need ywho are downsizing or giving up specialist accommodation. ywho we are satisfied need to move for their own safety ywho have to move because their home needs major repairs which are too disruptive to complete while they live there or because we plan to sell the property. We will explain your other rehousing options and, if you apply for your local council s housing register, we will work with them to make sure that you are treated in the same way as other local people. Who can apply? You can apply to join the transfer list if: yyou do not owe Family Mosaic any money ywe are not investigating or currently taking legal action against you for a breach of tenancy

13 your complete guide to rehousing 13 yyou have lived in your home for at least one year yyou hold an Assured, Secure or Fixed term tenancy after successful completion of a starter period yyou have not had a previous application cancelled due to a breach of your tenancy within the last year or the time limit on your application has expired yyou meet the criteria of need set out on pages 14 and 15. If your circumstances don t match any of these then you will not be able to join the list. yyou have joined at least one recognised swapping scheme and have applied to your local council for help with rehousing yyou have kept your home in a good condition and allowed access for an annual gas safety inspection. Who can I include in my application? We only take into account people who are already living with you on a permanent and full-time basis. We do not take account of unborn children or children whose main home is elsewhere. We disregard other adults who join your household unless you can show it is essential they live with you and there are no other suitable options. What documents do I need to provide? We will only ask you to prove who is living with you if you are made an offer. We will require evidence of your housing need if you are allowed to join the list.

14 14 your complete guide to rehousing How can I move if I have health or disability problems? We have stopped adding to the list people who need to move solely because of poor health or a disability. We may still take account of health and disability factors only if: ywe believe there is an overriding urgency. yyou qualify for the transfer list and need a home adapted for people with disabilities. yyou wish to move to one of our sheltered housing schemes for older people yyou qualify to join the list for another reason. What priority will I get? From February 2014 all new transfer applications are placed into one Band. All applications will be prioritised in a date-order queue. However, we operate an Annual Lettings Plan which sets targets for different types of needs. We then give priority to applicants with a specific type of need when we advertise empty homes in our choice-based lettings scheme. Tenants with one or more of the following needs will be able to join the transfer list: Decants: Where we need to move a tenant due to the poor condition of the property.

15 your complete guide to rehousing 15 Beneficial moves: ygiving up a home which is wheelchair accessible ygiving up a home in a housing scheme for older people ydownsizing to a home with fewer bedrooms. Management transfers: Exceptional cases where there has been serious harassment, antisocial behaviour or domestic violence or where there are other over-riding social or welfare reasons and all other options have been exhausted. Move-On: Tenants in our supported housing who are ready to live independently. How many bedrooms will I be offered? We use the following guidelines to assess how many bedrooms you need: The y main applicant and spouse or partner are entitled to one bedroom ywe will only let studio / bedsitter flats to single people yan adult aged 18 or over qualifies for his / her own bedroom Two y same sex children can share a bedroom while they are both under 18 Two y opposite sex children can share a bedroom while they are under 10. Any other child who cannot be paired up using the above guidelines is entitled to a separate bedroom.

16 16 your complete guide to rehousing Special rules apply for Management transfers, foster parents and tenants who need an extra bedroom on health grounds. If you qualify for three or more bedrooms you will be able to bid for properties with one fewer bedroom in our choice-based lettings system. How can I apply for older people s housing? A limited number of vacancies in housing schemes for older people (sheltered housing) are available for existing tenants. These are not advertised in our choice-based lettings system. We keep a separate sheltered housing list and match people on the list to suitable vacancies. You must be at least 55 years old to join the list. All offers are subject to a sheltered housing assessment to ensure that the applicant is suitable for this type of housing. How can I apply for an adapted home? We do not use the bidding scheme to let homes built or adapted for people with significant disabilities. We keep a separate Accessible Homes list and you will need a letter of recommendation from your local authority Occupational Therapist to join. We match people on the list to suitable vacant homes. We have very few vacancies so you should also contact your local authority. If you need adaptations, we may be able to make changes to your home to make it more suitable.

17 your complete guide to rehousing 17 We will need a written recommendation from a suitably qualified person before we consider your request. You can apply for adaptations to your current home through the Customer Care Line. How many offers will I receive? Generally there is no limit on the number of offers we make to Transfer applicants following bids in our choicebased lettings scheme. However, if we make a direct offer outside the normal procedures and you refuse it we will not make you another direct offer. If you are downsizing we will make you up to 3 offers. If you refuse all 3 offers you will be removed from the transfer list and will need to find another way to move such as swapping. If you are approved as a Management transfer, you will be expected to move to any area except those where there is a proven risk. We will also take into account any essential support needs. You will receive one offer only and we will set you up for automatic bidding as soon as you are approved. What should I do if my circumstances change? If there is any change in your circumstances that might affect your Transfer application, please let us know. This includes anyone leaving or joining your household.

18 18 your complete guide to rehousing If you do not tell us and you are selected for an offer, the offer may be withdrawn. Please tell us if you no longer wish to move. Using our choicebased lettings scheme If you are registered for a transfer you will be able to use our choice-based lettings scheme. We use it to advertise our available homes and housing applicants registered with Family Mosaic can bid for vacancies. We publish the results on a regular basis so you can see which properties get the most bids and the priority of successful bidders. We may allocate up to 10% of available homes outside of the bidding scheme.

19 your complete guide to rehousing 19 How do I take part? If we register you on the Transfer list we will write to you providing you with a Registration number so you can log in. All offers are subject to a clear rent account and confirmation that our records about your circumstances are up to date. We will bypass bids from tenants who are in breach of any part of their tenancy agreement including owing rent, have been involved in acts of anti-social behaviour or are under investigation. How can I find out what properties are available? Each Wednesday we publish details of our available properties on the website We also produce a weekly newsletter for tenants who are unable to use the internet. You can collect a copy of the newsletter from any Family Mosaic office on any day except Tuesday or request that we send it to you. Please contact the Customer Care Line on and press option 2 if you need this. Each advert contains details of the property including the weekly rent and other charges. There is more information online than in the printed version. We use symbols in the property adverts to describe features of each property. For some properties we prioritise particular groups using a Qualification Reason symbol. Please check the website for a key to the meaning of each symbol, or place your cursor over the symbol and text will appear telling you what the

20 20 your complete guide to rehousing symbol means, or call the Customer Care Line on and press option 2. We aim to include a recent photograph of the property. The online advert gives a link to a local map. Where possible we will categorise every property using the London Accessible Housing Register categories. What properties can I bid for? You can bid for one property each week. Generally you will be able to bid for any property in any area provided it has a suitable number of bedrooms. Sometimes we may give priority for a particular property to a specific type of applicant. This will be clearly stated in the advert. If you are the top ranked bidder for an empty home you will not be able to place any more bids until you have responded to the current offer. How do I place a bid? You can bid by phone, text message or the internet. You can place a bid 24 hours a day anytime before the closing date from each Wednesday morning to the following Monday midnight. It makes no difference whether you bid early or late during the period. What happens after I make a bid? At the close of bidding each week, all bids are ranked by any Qualification Reason used, then by the Band they are in and finally by the date they qualified to join that Band. We then review the highest placed bids to check the applicants

21 your complete guide to rehousing 21 circumstances and suitability. We may bypass bids we consider unsuitable and ask for up-to-date proof of residence for all persons included in the application. I don t have a computer how can I take part? Do you have a friend, family member or relative who has access to a computer at home, work, school or college? Have you tried using an internet facility in a library, internet café or a free computer in our offices? Alternatively you can collect a copy of the weekly property newsletter and bid by phone. The Customer Care Line can tell you what properties are available and bid on your behalf. I still need help taking part what support is available? Contact the Customer Care Line for further support and advice. For example, we can arrange for the system to match you automatically to any vacancies meeting your needs if you find it difficult to use the system. This is called auto-bidding. How do I find out the result of an advert? Online you can see what position your bid will be in before you place it and when you place a bid you will get immediate feedback on your position.

22 22 your complete guide to rehousing Whether your bid was unsuccessful or you didn t bid at all, look at the feedback tables we publish in the newsletter and website weekly. Check regularly on Family Mosaic s website for details of other options. These show for each property how many bids were placed and anonymous details of the successful bidder including any Qualification Reason, their Band and date. By comparing your Band and date with those of successful bidders, you will be able to judge how close you came or would have come to being selected. I keep bidding but haven t got an offer what else can I do? Our choice-based lettings system doesn t increase the number of homes available for letting. Be realistic about what you need and what s available.

23 Access to our services There are a range of ways you can contact us: your complete guide to rehousing 23 Dedicated Customer Care Line and press option 2 to speak to a Housing Officer. Via customercareline@familymosaic.co.uk Via letter Family Mosaic Albion House, 20 Queen Elizabeth Street, London, SE1 2RJ or Family Mosaic Pembroke House, Northlands Pavement, Pitsea, Essex SS13 3DU. Through our web site

24 Talking your language Bengali French Somali Spanish Turkish Vietnamese Feel good about coming home This document gives you information about Your complete guide to rehousing. If you need any part of this document in large print, Braille, on CD or explained in your own language please contact us on Version 2: First published: Oct 2011, Last revised: Jan 2014 CHECKED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM Printed on FSC paper from mixed sources including recycled