Housing Associations and Trusts

These are independent 'registered social landlords' not private landlords. They provide housing in a very similar way to the council and are non-profit making. They are run by committees, who are unpaid, and managed by paid professional housing officers. All housing associations and trusts are registered with the housing corporation, an agency set up by the government to oversee the funding and management of registered social landlords.

People who rent a housing association property must meet their rules and conditions of tenancy. While some have open waiting lists that people can apply to directly, most are accessed through the housing register.

The types of property available

Houses

Houses can either be on residential streets or on estates. Most houses have their own gardens. Most housing associations offer very few houses.

Conversions

Houses may be converted to make two or more flats. These properties are very often in residential streets.

• They have a shared front door with individual entrance doors to the self contained flats inside.
• Although some of these flats have central heating, most of them tend to be heated by gas fires.
• Not all of these flats have individual gardens or access to a shared garden.

Blocks and estates

Many housing association properties are blocks on small estates. These vary in age and facilities, and many do not have lifts or central heating.

Who can be nominated to a housing association or trust?

• Council tenants who have asked for a transfer and have said that they would like to be nominated to a housing association or trust.
• People on the housing register.

How can I be nominated to a housing association or trust?

All offers of accommodation for council housing and nominations to housing associations or trusts are done in the same way. We use a time-based system for offering housing. When you first apply for a transfer or to the housing register, you will go to the bottom of the waiting list. In time, your housing application moves up the list as the people at the top are made offers.

When your application reaches the top of the waiting list, we will offer you housing. If a housing association property is being offered at that time, we will consider you for the property.

We will always take account of the following before we offer you the property and nominate you to the association.

• Is the property in your chosen part of the borough?
• Is it the right size for yourself and your family?
• Do you have any medical needs that we know about that will affect the kind of home you can live in?

Other information

• Most housing association tenants do not have the right to buy their home.
• If you are on a low income, you can claim help with your rent and your council tax in the same way as a council tenant.
• You cannot ask to be nominated to a particular housing association.
• We cannot guarantee that you will be nominated to a housing association.

Contact details

You can get more advice by contacting our central rehousing services communications team, or you can visit our housing services unit.

You can phone us between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday on 020 7926 4200.

You can speak to someone directly at the Brixton Customer Centre 18 Brixton Hill, London SW2 1RL