Homeselect

Other Housing Options

Housing is in very short supply, even if you are assessed as needing to move urgently, you may have a considerable wait.

If you have problems with the condition of your home, or lack of facilities to suit your needs may not mean you have to move.
If you or a member of your family are finding it difficult to get around your home because of a disability, you may be able to get assistance with adaptations, following an assessment by an occupational therapist.
You can then apply for a disabled facilities grant from the Council, or help from your landlord if you are a Council or Housing Association tenant.

For Great Yarmouth residents - telephone Social Services Reception and Referral team to request an assessment on 850317.
For Waveney residents - telephone Enhanced Customer First on 08456 023023.

Security and support can be a worry for people as they are getting older, particularly if they live on their own.  Both Council's offer an alarm service. This is available to anyone who needs it for a small weekly charge, and provides 24 hour cover for you in your home.

For Great Yarmouth Residents - telephone Yarecare 852784 or 330369
For Waveney Residents - telephone 515435 or 513222

Alternatively,  pick up a leaflet from any Council office.

If you are an owner occupier or a private tenant with repairing obligations, and you have disrepair or other problems which you can't afford to sort, the Council may be able to help with a grant and/or loan to cover necessary works.

For Great Yarmouth Residents - telephone Renewal services - 846371
For Waveney Residents - telephone Private sector housing - 562111

For residents in the Great Yarmouth Borough Council area, the Council also runs a home improvement agency called Safe at Home, which can help older, disabled, or low income private householders through the process of getting works or adaptations done.
Safe at Home can help with filling in paperwork, provide advice about the best way to pay for the works, find reliable builders to carry them out, and manage the process for you. Safe at Home also has a handyperson scheme to help with minor repairs and safety issues.
Safe at Home leaflets are available from the Town Hall or Greyfriars House, or call 846190 for more information.

Home security improvements are available to older or low income private householders or Great Yarmouth Borough Council Tenants through a police-led initiative called Norfolk PACT. Contact 01953 424727 for details.

Heating or insulation improvement grants are also on offer to private householders from Warm Front, a government sponsored agency.

For Great Yarmouth Residents - telephone Renewal services - 846371
For Waveney Residents - telephone Private sector housing - 562111

Alternatively contact,  Warm Front directly (0800 952 1555)

Timely advice on problems you may be having with a private tenancy could save you having to move, or even becoming homeless. Both Councils offer advice sessions:

Great Yarmouth Residents - housing option drop in sessions are normally held each morning at Greyfriars House, Great Yarmouth between 9-12.

Waveney Residents - housing option drop in sessions are normally held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at the Navigator, Lowestoft Library between 9-12.

Advice on renting privately is available from the Councils' Housing Options service who can provide information on claiming housing benefit, including estimates of how much you may receive. Or you can also get advice from Shelter or any Citizen Advice Bureau.

House Exchange

If you are a Council or Housing Association tenant, the potential for arranging a mutual exchange with another tenant should be considered. The swap can be with a tenant of the same landlord as you or another landlord: it could be with a tenant from
another area: it can even be a 3 way swap. The key thing is that each tenant involved must have the written approval of their landlord, who can refuse the move on certain grounds. You must never pay or accept money for a mutual exchange. You can register at www.house-exchange.org.uk and browse the list of other tenants from various landlords looking for a mutual exhange, and you can advertise in local shops and press. Contact your housing office for information and advice.

You may be considering moving to another part of the country. If so, you may be able to join the housing register in the local authority area you want to move to.
For people who are already Council or Housing Association tenants and need to move,
there are various national exchange schemes. For more details of these schemes, you can log on to www.direct.gov.uk.  Under the Home and Community heading, you should access or search for 'Home exchange and mobility schemes'.

Home ownership schemes

There are a range of schemes which may be of interest to you.

Right to buy scheme
Social Homebuy/shared ownership
key worker living programme
The right to acquire scheme
Open market Homebuy scheme
New build Homebuy scheme

You may not be eligible for all of these schemes.  For more information log on to www.direct.gov.uk - Homeownership schemes or contact the Homeselect team on 01493 846140.

Orbit Housing Association are the zone agents for the Homebuy scheme in this area. 
The Homebuy scheme is for existing Council or Housing Association tenants or people on the housing register who are in housing need and cannot afford the full costs of buying a home.
The scheme will require you to provide 75% of the price of your new home and you will receive an equity loan for 25%. The 25% only becomes payable when you sell the house in the future and 25% of the selling price will have to be paid back.
You will have mortgage on your 75% only to pay and no rent, unlike shared ownership where you pay rent on your share. To find out more, contact the Homeselect team on 846140 or Orbit Housing Association who run the scheme, on tel: 08458 50 20 50 or www.orbithomebuyagents.co.uk

When Shared Ownership schemes become available in the area these will be advertised through Homeselect.

Please be aware that part of the procedure for applying for these properties is that you must be registered with Homeselect.