How can I get on the housing association list?

[tiredandunoriginal]

So I am struggling financially and have a partner and a baby and my family have suggested I join the housing register. I tried to join back when I was first pregnant but got declined for unknown reasons and I didn’t appeal because I then managed to find a place I could just about afford and needed to move ASAP as the tenancy has ended on my other house. I’ve always private rented since I was 18, but I can’t afford where I’m living anymore and every other place I have looked at around this area is even more expensive.

I called the council and asked whether I would be eligible to apply and they said I’m not eligible except if I have worked in the area for 12 months or more. In November it will have been 12 months that I’ve worked here.

I really don’t want to move out of this area because I’m 5 minutes away from my mum. I have a chronic illness that pretty much keeps me housebound and diagnosed mental illnesses (bipolar and BPD). My mum is my main support and my only family where I am. All the rest live up north. I mentioned this to the council but they said unless she’s my carer it doesn’t count.

I also know that I probably wouldn’t be high priority and that it can take time to even be housed so we could stay with family for a short while but not long-term.

I’m just wondering if anyone knows anything about housing associations or what I can do?

Please be gentle x

How long have you personally lived in the area? Eligibility is usually down to that rather than just working there.

Are you in London or SE? Where I live there is no eligibility criteria as such. Anyone can apply to go on the waiting list. Of course, certain things make you a higher priority than others & waits are still long.

@CoffeeRunner I’m in Sussex. I’ve lived here again for a year, and grew up here until I was 18 and moved out. But the criteria is that you’ve lived here for at least two years in the past six years, and I only moved back last year.

You have mental health issues?
Tbh you are one of many atm
Why are you expecting to be housed?

Where I live, HA properties are allocated by nomination from the council, so you have to be on the council's housing register and bid in the same way as you would for council property.

There are a couple of HAs that have properties here that people can apply to directly: Places 4 People and Habinteg, who provide adapted housing for people with disabilities.

@Blueblue26 I didn’t say I wasn’t ‘one of many’. Just stating that I do have mental health issues which have been quite severe to the point of being under the crisis team several times, and so I need the support. I’m not ‘expecting to be housed’. I asked how I could join the list - but said I knew I wasn’t going to be a priority.

@LakieLady Oh that’s what I mean, to be placed on the housing register. Sorry.

Just seen you're in Sussex. I'm in E Sussex and Hyde HA have some properties in Eastbourne that are occasionally let direct because they are considered hard to let. They also have properties specifically for people who need extra support because of MH issues.

You have to register with their Home Hunt scheme to be considered.

Definately worth looking at places for People.
Do you work? As the area I love they won't take people on full housing benefits.

@chocolatespiders Yes I work, I’m self-employed though

I’m on my councils housing list I’ve been waiting for 2 years and I’m middle priority. Every council has different rules and will put you in a priority ‘banding’ depending on circumstances. Once you know your priority band you should have a good idea how long you’ll be waiting for example people in my band wait 1.5-4yrs to be housed.. and I’m in Wales where we have many more HA houses, you could be waiting a long long time in somewhere like Sussex but it’s no harm getting on the list and bidding but expect to wait years ..

Thanks @NoUsername873. Can I ask what you’re doing while you wait? Are you renting or living with family?

Hi, you need to meet the criteria before you can join. It sounds like you can join in November? Or would it be another year?

With the housing register you will be allowed to join the section you are eligible for (I live in a large county but only eligible for the sub district of the county and surrounding villages) although sometimes other districts will look around neighbouring districts if their list is empty.

I’ve looked at Sussex Homemove and Mid Sussex register and I am not sure there is any way around it - it does say close relative has lived there for 5 years? A carer would need to be a register carer to count.

Do you have a social worker? Could you ask them for help?
Could you ask your mental health team to write you a letter for housing?
Have you looked for any charities that can help?
Have you applied for discretionary housing allowance if you can’t pay the rent?
Why can’t you afford the rent? Is it debt

Do not fall behind in rent or council tax this will seriously hinder being able to get in the housing register

@Menora My mum has lived here for 25 and I lived there for 18 years before moving, but I still got declined last time. And yes in debt and as I’m self-employed my invoices are all over the place and often take ages to come through. So some months I’ll have money, then another I won’t. Freelancer so if I do work on the 27th August, I won’t get paid until October sort of thing. Sometimes longer depending on how long invoices take to process. I have been waiting on an invoice since June simply because they take ages to get back to me, and then keep adding new forms so payment date gets later and later... can be a lot of hassle. Not behind on rent/CT though.

Ok so is this sustainable for employment? Do you think moving into HA is going to solve this issue of your finances?

My HA home in a county in the SE/East of England is £900pm and a service charge. You can’t fall behind with that either and can’t pay erratically. I don’t get any rent free weeks. Council housing is very rare, it is cheap and usually older stock. Most properties now are housing association and not as cheap as you think

Maybe you need some advice from a debt charity and could rethink your work options?

I’m renting

I assume your partner hasn't lived in the area for more than a year?
With the invoices, do you put a penalty on for late payment? You can reconfirm payment terms to 2 weeks for all work going forward and add interest on late payments if they are aware of it in advance. Ask for deposits up front too. Say that in light of Covid you have cash flow concerns and need prompt payment as can't bankroll larger companies which may go into liquidation.

What's the situation with your partner op? Living together? Does he work? How long has lived there?

@Blueblue26

You have mental health issues? Tbh you are one of many atm Why are you expecting to be housed?

Op didn't say she's expecting then to guide her, but it's social housing, op is exactly the type of person it's designed to help. Why shouldn't she expect to be able to go on the list?

As a freelancer you determine the payment terms through the contract that you issue. 30 days and then financial penalties-works well. If someone doesn’t pay then don’t work for them again.

Do you live with your partner ? Do you have 2 wages coming in ? Maybe when the baby arrives you will be eligible to claim some Universal credit which will help towards rent ?

@Menora and @LakieLady have offered some good advice. Usually if you have a family link in the area you want to move to they consider that, but they change the rules so often I can’t keep up.

You mentioned the crisis team being involved, do you get counselling, are social services involved? The more professionals to support your need/reasons the better.

Council with housing can be such a roulette. Sometimes you can get someone looking at your case and they say fine you meet the criteria and you’re given your bidding Number, My friend on the other hand actually had a letter from a mental health unit that said they would not release him until the council could provide accommodation, so his LA put him in supported housing but was short term primarily for drug users wanting to get clean etc ( my friend did not do drugs but was the only available accommodation at the time) all the while he received his diagnosis etc, had evidence and supporting letters coming out his ears and they still said no, I had to get a solicitor involved to assist and only then did they accept a duty of care but it took a solicitor throwing chapter and verse at then and threatening legal actionz

He only needed a one bed so there was a lot of choice and he got a place within 6 months of finally being accepted on the register. Two beds upwards are pains though.

menora please tell me that’s for a 4 bedroom in West London.. I remember reading years ago that HA were making rent for new tenancies 20% cheaper than the market value.. clearly they applied that with you. I’d really struggle to pay that

@hoxtonbabe

Nope! It’s in a village with no train station and crap transport! It’s a 3 bed semi. Yes it’s ‘affordable housing’ which is 20% less apparently. It goes up every year.

When I was looking there was like 25 of these properties and some more expensive and then 1 sad dilapidated council flat for like £83 per week that was on there every week

@Menora

Blooming eck. Actually comes to think about it, the 1bed place my friend got was just over £600 p/m so I guess your £900 isn’t expensive.

That said I would love to live somewhere with no train and not so great transport now. I’m of an age where I crave the village life

@hoxtonbabe

It’s all about the dog poo here 😂