housing issue help please

Anthillmob

hope this is in the right place.

i live in a small one bed council flat with my partner and our one year old daughter. we are on the list to bid for a larger property very few of which become available each week because of the lack of council houses available as everyone keeps buying them.

so im thinking of going to housing associations. however i dont really know where to start.

do you just phone them and register with them? do they run similar 'bid to win' schemes like the councils do now?

iwanttosave_2

I would have thought you would know about this working in HB.

You can phone them up (get a list from the council) and request an application form.

My coucnil do a thing where the HA scan the list and see if they have a property available for those in the highest band.

clipboard2

Hi Anthillmob! In a word, yes, go for it! Ring around and register with every H.A going that have properties in areas that you are interested in. As you are already a "social housing" tenant you will get priority. This worked for my OH and I when we lived in Glasgow in a grotty 22nd floor council flat ...got a spanking brand new huge 2 bed flat in the nice bit of the city centre with a H.A. with our 1st and only application. You have to be in the right place at the right time with your application.
H.A's are the way the wind is blowing......
Did you know that nationwide, more and more local authorities are transferring their entire housing stock from council to H. A. ownership? This can be done only if the tenants vote for it via an independant balllot.
Unsuprisingly, the reasons are financial..first, sales of council houses are falling so less income. Secondly, the government has imposed a "decent homes" standard on councils which they cannot meet under their financial restraints. In many areas, Bracknell, for example,50% of all rental income from council tenants is redistributed by the government to other areas of Britain deemed more needy. Under H.A. "rules" the entire rental income can be kept locally and spent on much needed repairs.
Hence with a H.A. property you are much more likely to get your property improved.
Also, the government has plans for "target rents" for all social landlords to be in place by 2012. Historically H.A. rents have been higher than council rents for similar properties but this will no longer be the case in future.

Good luck with your new home search!

Anthillmob

iwanttosave wrote:

I would have thought you would know about this working in HB.

You can phone them up (get a list from the council) and request an application form.

My coucnil do a thing where the HA scan the list and see if they have a property available for those in the highest band.

i didnt know! i could have asked housing advice but havent had a chance to get round there. thanks,.