Keyworker Housing
Keyworker housing is a government initiative which provides financial and housing assistance so that keyworkers can afford to live in London while providing essential public services. The government has made money available under its `Starter Home Initiative' to fund this initiative.
Who is a keyworker?
At Lambeth, we consider you to be a keyworker if your job makes a significant contribution to the well-being of the borough through the delivery of essential services. The most commonly accepted occupations in this category are:
- People directly employed in the provision of health care
- Teachers
- Police officers
- Fire officers
- Social workers
- Public transport staff
* Please note that the definition of a keyworker varies between different Keyworker Housing schemes, and the above examples can only be used as a guideline.
What are the benefits of keyworker housing?
- Provides keyworkers with a broader range of choices regarding the size, type, and location of their home
- Provides keyworkers with assistance to find a home that is suitable for their needs
- Provides affordable housing options to keyworkers
- Reduces the financial burden on keyworkers
- Provides home ownership opportunities to keyworkers who might not normally be able to afford the cost of home ownership
What can I expect from keyworker housing?
- Keyworkers are able to access Lambeth Council’s Homebuy scheme, which is run by Tower Homes on behalf of the council. With Homebuy, you can apply for an equity loan (up to 25% of the purchase price) to help you buy a home on the open market
- Keyworkers can also access Shared Ownership schemes. These are part-buy, part-rent schemes that enable you to pay what you can afford now so you don’t have to stretch yourself financially with a large mortgage. As time goes by, you can buy a bigger share of the property until you own it outright
- Keyworkers in Lambeth are given additional priority for council housing by qualifying for five extra points on our Housing Register
- As part of our Keyworker Strategy we are also able to provide limited access to rented social housing schemes for keyworkers in the London area
How do I access keyworker housing schemes?
- To access any keyworker housing initiative you should first join the Housing Register
- If you are interested in Homebuy or Shared Ownership please advise us of this when you join the Housing Register
- If you would like to update a Housing Register application you have already made to reflect your status as a keyworker, please contact Central Re-housing services
- If there are any rental schemes currently operating, your details will be sent to the housing association responsible for the scheme
- When new rental schemes become available we will send a list of all the keyworkers currently on our Housing Register to the housing association responsible for the scheme
- If you qualify for a rental scheme, you will be contacted directly by the housing association who will inform you about the next steps
- Access to keyworker housing schemes is only available to people who are able to prove that they are a keyworker. As such, you should provide us with proof of your keyworker status (such as wage slips) when you apply to join the Housing Register