Version 03 01/07/2012

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1 Version 03 01/07/

2 Contents Affordable Home Ownership Buying a 3 place of your own Private Rented 4 Accommodation Option for Older people 7 Mutual Exchange 8 Low cost ownership, Preventing Homelessness 9 and Housing advice How and when the council 11 can help with housing Useful contacts 12 OUR SERVICE AIMS There is a considerable shortage of affordable housing in Hertfordshire. Hertsmere Borough Council, St Albans City and District Council, Three Rivers District Council, Watford Borough Council and Welwyn Hatfield Council have joined forces to help increase choice and mobility across the five boroughs. The Herts Choice Homes Choice Based Lettings Scheme, will give applicants a realistic view of their chances of being re-housed (see our separate leaflet for details of the scheme). Being a region of high demand for social housing, a high percentage of people on the Housing Needs Register (waiting list) are unlikely to be offered a property unless there is an urgent housing need. This document details other housing options that you may wish to consider before you decide to apply to join the register. 2

3 A lot of people would like to own their own property. Home ownership provides long term security, offers you more control over your own housing and can be an investment for you and your children. Property prices in Hertfordshire are very high and this is why the Government has developed a range of low cost schemes to help you get on the first rung of the ladder. The detail of each scheme varies. Up to date information about schemes that are currently available can be found by contacting Lea Valley Homes, the HomeBuy agent for Hertfordshire. Contact details are on page

4 All five councils have access to suitable private rented accommodation across Hertfordshire, and have helped lots of people secure settled accommodation with a private sector landlord through Rent Deposit Guarantee schemes. WHY CHOOSE THE PRIVATE SECTOR? The private sector can provide attractive accommodation You can choose a property the right size for your household. You can choose which area to rent in. Landlords will make sure their properties meet a range of safety standards. Some landlords will accept households in receipt of Housing Benefit. This is a better option than temporary accommodation. WHAT IS THE RENT DEPOSIT GUARANTEE SCHEME? The scheme aims to help people who are either homeless or threatened with homelessness. It is available at the discretion of each individual council and each council operates slightly different rules for the scheme. Under the scheme the council will provide the landlord with a guaranteed deposit of up to one or two months rent to cover any damage and/or rent arrears on a property. If any guarantee is paid to the landlord the tenant then repays it to the council. 4

5 HOW DOES THE SCHEME WORK? We help you to find landlords who will accept the deposit guarantee. We have contacts with landlords who will accept tenants who are on a low income and/or who are in receipt of Housing Benefit. We provide access to these properties but we do not manage them. The individual owners manage the properties. The owner of the property (the landlord) enters into a tenancy agreement with you. This is legally binding and commits you to remaining in the property and paying the rent, for a set period of at least 6 months. In many instances the landlord will continue to renew the tenancy whilst you meet your obligations as a tenant. HOW DO I APPLY? We are not able to help everyone with this scheme. First speak to the council with whom you have a local connection. They will talk to you about what you need, tell you whether you are eligible for the scheme and help you to access it. If you are approved for the scheme your adviser will tell you about the properties available and guide you through the rest of the process. FINDING YOUR OWN PRIVATE RENTED ACCOMMODATION You can also find your own private rented accommodation. Newspapers, notice boards in newsagents windows, along with lettings agencies are a source of finding private rented accommodation. Be prepared to go to several agencies and view several properties. There is no guarantee however that you will find something quickly. Many people hear of properties by word of mouth from friends or workmates so it is a good idea to let everyone know that you are looking. 5

6 HOUSE SHARING AND ROOM RENTING Sharing a flat or a house with others is often a more affordable option as bills are split between tenants and can be the first step towards independent living. If you are looking for a property to share, the following links may be useful: uk.easyroommate.com 6

7 As we get older our housing needs change and we often need to reconsider where and how we live to ensure a secure retirement. WHY MOVE? Your current house or flat may no longer be suitable because of stairs, layout or location. As children and family move away to form their own households you may no longer be able to cope or want to deal with a property that is too large or expensive. You may be interested in sharing companionship and/or social activities with people of a similar age. You may wish to have the security of having someone to look out for you and be in a safe and secure environment. You may be entitled to a financial incentive from your landlord should you be giving up family sized social housing. SHELTERED HOUSING SCHEMES Sheltered housing schemes are unfurnished properties specially built or adapted to meet the needs of older or disabled people. The schemes often have an on-site or on-call manager who can offer support and assistance to residents during office hours. Some schemes have 24 hour emergency alarm systems. Sheltered Housing Schemes are not care homes. They are for people who can live independently but who would benefit from having someone around to provide some additional support when needed. ELIGIBILITY FOR SHELTERED HOUSING SCHEMES Most schemes are open to applicants over 60 years of age with a housing support need or to couples where one of the joint applicants is at least 60 and the partner is 55 or over. However some schemes currently consider applicants who are younger, with a medical or physical issue or a learning difficulty. HOW TO APPLY You need to apply to join the Housing Needs Register of the council by whom you wish to be housed. Contact details of the five partner councils are on page

8 Mutual Exchange is where you swap tenancies with another council or housing association tenant. You need to apply to your landlord to join the mutual exchange register, and then search for another tenant to exchange homes with. If you find someone to swap with, you will need your landlord s permission for the exchange to go ahead. HOW DO I FIND SOMEONE TO EXCHANGE? There are various ways to find someone to exchange with: Word of mouth. Placing an advert in the window of your newsagents. Looking at lists held by your landlord (not all landlords hold a list). You can also find exchanges through a scheme called Homeswapper. This scheme is free to use if your landlord is registered with the scheme. By joining the scheme you can add your details and also search for people who may want to swap with you. If your landlord is not a member of Homeswapper you can apply to join the scheme directly for a small charge. You can find out more information about Homeswapper on their website WHY CONSIDER MUTUAL EXCHANGE? Mutual Exchange is a popular option for those with a low housing need. By finding someone to swap with you may be able to move more quickly than you would by remaining on the Housing Needs Register. You can mutually exchange with council and housing association tenants across the country. 8

9 Purchasing a home outright can be too expensive for many people, but if you have a household income of less than 60,000 per year you may be eligible for a low cost home ownership scheme. There are a range of products available, including: Shared Equity/Shared Ownership - You buy a share of the property (usually at least 25%) and rent the remaining share at a low rent. Rent to Buy - You rent a specific home at a low rent for a fixed period (say five years). During this time you have the opportunity to buy a share of the property. To buy a share of a property you will need to either raise a mortgage for the value of the share you want, or have sufficient money to buy the share outright. Usually you will be given the option of buying a small share to begin with, but can then buy further shares in the property, if your income increases in the future. This is known as staircasing. To find out more about low cost home ownership options contact Lea Valley Homes: telephone: The Housing teams of the Herts Choice Homes councils offer free and confidential advice to residents within our boroughs. The earlier you let us know about your housing problems, the more we can do to help. We are all committed to preventing homelessness wherever possible and to helping you sustain your current accommodation. This means we will make every effort to keep you in your home if this is appropriate, or assist you in finding alternative accommodation. 9

10 We can offer you advice on dealing with issues such as: Rent arrears Mortgage arrears Landlord disputes Disputes with friends or family members with whom you are currently living Domestic violence Notice to leave and possession action by landlords or lenders Your rights and responsibilities We have a number of schemes and partnerships that may help you, depending on your circumstances, such as: Debt advice provided in partnership with the CAB. Sanctuary room for victims of domestic violence. Mediation services to help resolve family disputes. Floating support for households who need regular assistance and support to maintain their housing. MORTGAGE RESCUE SCHEME You may be able to avoid repossession by applying for the Government s Mortgage Rescue Scheme. All the following criteria must be met: The mortgage lender (or other lender with a charge secured on the property) must be threatening repossession action The household must include either dependent children, a chronically sick, mentally ill or disabled person The property value should not exceed 200,000 (this may be flexible in certain circumstances) Households in negative equity may be considered so long as this does not exceed 120% of the property value The household income must not exceed 60k The property must be of adequate size for the occupants and suitable for continued occupation The scheme would allow for a housing association to purchase the property at 90% of the market value and rent it back to the householder. This avoids the need, cost and upheaval of moving and maintains stability and continuity for the household. 10

11 WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU BECOME HOMELESS? If your local housing team is not able to help prevent you from becoming homeless they will look at other re-housing options that may be available to you. There might be options in the private sector, or a referral to an agency such as the YMCA, or a specialist supported housing scheme may be appropriate. How and when can the council help? If we are unable to prevent you from becoming homeless or provide you with alternative suitable housing options then the Council may have a duty to assist you as a homeless person. We only have a duty to secure accommodation for certain homeless people under the Housing Act 1996, as amended by the Homelessness Act If you are likely to become homeless or feel you could be homeless in the future you should contact the Housing Options team at your local council as soon as possible. Details can be found on page

12 COUNCIL CONTACT DETAILS Hertsmere Borough Council Civic Offices, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire WD6 1WA St Albans City and District Council Council Offices, Civic Centre, St Peters Street, St. Albans, Herts AL1 3JE Three Rivers District Council Three Rivers House, Northway, Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 1RL Watford Borough Council Town Hall, Watford, Herts WD17 3EX Welwyn Hatfield Community Housing Trust Welwyn Garden City Housing Office, 51 Bridge Road East, Herts AL7 1JR OTHER USEFUL CONTACT DETAILS Herts Young Homeless An independent charity working with young homeless people who can provide information, support, advice, mediation and advocacy for young people aged Contacts in the following areas: Three Rivers, Watford, Hertsmere / St Albans Welwyn & Hatfield Lea Valley Homes (HomeBuy Agent) Address: 6 Houghton Hall Business Park, Porz Avenue, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire LU5 5UZ Telephone: address: leavalleyhomes@aldwych.co.uk Website: Homeswapper: (Mutual Exchanges) Website: