We’re often asked questions about Community Housing Cymru, housing associations, social housing, and the process of listing to get a housing association home. This section provides answers to a host of the most common questions. If you have a question that isn't answered here, contact us on 029 2055 7400 or email enquiries@chcymru.org.uk.
Click here for questions specifially relating to Stock Transfer
What is a housing association?
How do I apply for a home with a housing association?
What is the 'points' system?
Will I have to wait a long time for a home?
Which housing associations are working to provide new homes in different areas of Wales?
How much are housing association rents?
What happens if I fall behind with my rent?
I can't afford to buy a home - can housing associations help me with this?
"Who is building houses on that site" - how do I find out?
I have a housing association home outside Wales, but wish to exchange my home to live in Wales - what can I do?
I don't live in Wales but would like to move there - what do I do?
How do I transfer to another area?
I want to move to live near my family?
Will a housing association purchase my property?
I want to complain about a housing association tenant or property - how do I find out which housing association owns the property?
I want to complain about my housing association?
I own pets - can I still go on the waiting list?
I am a single person but need extra room for when my children come to stay - is this possible?
What is Community Housing Cymru?
What is a housing association? Housing associations are organisations that provide homes, through rent or through purchase (with Low Cost Home Ownership schemes), for people who cannot afford to purchase a property on the open market. They are located throughout Wales and cater for a wide range of housing needs. Housing associations are not-for-profit organisations and are managed by boards of unpaid volunteers.
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How do I apply for housing with a housing association?Apply directly to the housing association(s) that provide homes in the area/s you want to live. The housing association will, in most cases, provide an application form for you to complete. This form will ask you to provide details of your household and where you are currently living.
The association might also ask you to complete an application form for housing with the local authority for the area you are interested in. This is because the local authority will usually have the right to put forward names (nominations) for rehousing with the association. If you need help in completing the form ask the staff at the association to help you. Once your application has been considered, you will be told about the next step, which is likely to be being placed on a waiting list.
What is the 'points' system?Housing association rules usually state that they exist to house people "in need". However, the definition of "need" is changing all the time and housing associations use a number of criteria to decide who takes priority for their services. Most still prioritise applications using a scoring system, awarding points against certain aspects of your situation. These scores are then used to compare your needs against the available housing in your preferred area. For instance, a family that does not have separate bedrooms for children or has to share facilities, like a bathroom, with another household, will get a certain number of points which will be used to compare their housing application with others on the list.
Not all associations use the same points system, some do not use a points system at all as they prefer to use a more open waiting list (at one time called the "Delft" system). Some housing and local authorities in Wales have common, shared waiting lists where they manage housing applications with one common register but let flats and houses in accordance with their own organisations priorities.
Priorities may be different in different areas of Wales, depending on the local housing situation. Some housing associations, for instance, specialise in family housing while others offer accommodation to younger single people, elderly people, or people who require support to live independently.
Housing associations publish their allocation policies so you can find out whether you meet their housing criteria - ask for a copy from the associations in your area.
Will I have to wait a long time for a home?Housing waiting lists have a reputation for being long but this has changed in recent years. Generally, the time you wait will depend on the needs you have, the availability of suitable accommodation and demand for homes in that area. The association you are applying to will advise you about the likely waiting time before an offer of housing can be made.
Which housing associations are working to provide homes in different areas of Wales?Click here to view a copy of our map which provides details on which housing associations provide social housing in which localities in Wales.
How much are housing association rents?Rent levels in Wales are currently fixed within ranges set by the Assembly. It does depend on where you live but, for instance, you can expect to pay between £49 and £58.23 for a three-bedroom home in most parts of Wales. Housing association rents are much cheaper than private rents but can be slightly higher than council rents (around 10% in some areas). However, that rent pays for a higher quality house - meeting stringent standards set by the Assembly, better services and a guarantee that any surpluses will be reinvested in improving homes and neighbourhoods.
What if I fall behind with my rent?Housing associations have a duty to make sure that you keep up with rent payments. They can offer a wide range of support services if you fall behind or can't afford the rent, including help with benefit claims and access to debt counselling. Of course, if you simply refuse to pay rents when there are no real reasons why you shouldn't pay, then the association will take action, but usually only as a last resort.
I can't afford to buy a home - can housing associations help me with this?Some associations and councils have schemes to promote Low Cost Home Ownership (LCHO). These are either for shared ownership which involves part-owning usually starting at 40% of the cost of the home and paying rent on the part not-owned. Shared owners are able over time to buy additional shares and eventually own their home outright.
Depending on the means test it is possible to get housing benefit on the rent you pay. Some shared ownership properties are recently built homes that are part of mixed development housing schemes including ordinary rented homes and fully owner occupied homes. There are also shared ownership homes that were ordinary homes purchased on the open market on shared ownership terms. These are known as ‘Do it Yourself Shared Ownership’ (DIYSO).
In some areas a new scheme called Homebuy has been operating. This allows a person unable to afford a mortgage for outright ownership to purchase at 70% (50% in some areas) of the cost with the remaining 30% being held by the association as an interest free loan. Homebuyers can purchase the outstanding 30% over time or sell their property on the open market (after a fixed number of years) when the loan is then repaid. As with shared ownership, Homebuy properties may be newly built or ordinary open market properties selected by the homebuyer – ‘Do It Yourself Homebuy’.
Community Housing Cymru can advise you about associations which may be able to help with LCHO schemes. You should also ask your local council whether they have any LCHO schemes in your area.
"Who is building houses on that site?" - how do I find out?Builders usually put up a sign on their sites to explain what’s being built and who the developer is. If the local housing association is the developer you’ll be able to see their details including a contact number for more information. If there is no sign the site agent for the builder will know.
I rent a housing association home outside Wales, but wish to exchange my home to live in Wales - what can I do?You can approach your housing association or local authority and ask to speak to the member of staff that has been appointed as the moveUK. contact. That person will be able to advise you about the exchange opportunities that have come up in the moveUK exchange lists. Otherwise you can tour the area that you are interested in living in. Tenants of both housing associations and local authorities that want to move often advertise their interest in a move in local newspapers or in shop windows on cards. The moveUK helpline is on 0845 606 6161.
I don't live in Wales but would like to move there - what do I do?If you own your own home and want to move to Wales you could consider selling your present home and rebuying in Wales. House prices vary considerably from area to area but are competitive in relation to, for example, the South of England.
If you own your own home and now wish to rent a home in Wales you should apply to a housing association. Being a former owner-occupier does not exclude you from being a housing association tenant. However, continuing to be an owner while being a housing association tenant could lead to the tenancy being terminated.
If you are a private tenant you can apply to become a housing association tenant in Wales by applying to a housing association(s) working in the area where you want to live. If you are already a housing association tenant or the tenant of a local authority and you wish to move to Wales you can either:
MoveUK has been established to serve the interests of social housing customers wanting to move to more appropriate homes. Customers wanting to move to a different area of the UK will only have to register with moveUK once to be able to access the services previously offered by LAWN or HOMES.
The moveUK helpline is on 08450 21 20 20.
How do I transfer to another area?Most associations have transfer lists and policies setting out how transfer applications are met with. These criteria are usually similar to the 'points' system used for deciding which applicants for rented housing get priority. Most tenants of associations and councils also have a right to exchange homes providing certain rules to prevent overcrowding and under-occupation are met. There is a national mobility organisation - MoveUK - which helps association and council tenants who wish to move home to another area they can be contacted on 08450 21 20 20.
I want to move to live near my family?See above
Will a housing association purchase my property?Housing associations work closely with local authorities to find housing which meets the needs of local communities. Housing associations provide homes either by building new houses or by renovating older buildings to the required standard. They are often looking for sites/buildings to buy, so if you are interested in selling land/buildings, contact the housing associations working in that area.
You might also be having difficulty maintaining your home or keeping up with your mortgage. Housing associations might be able to help by buying your home outright or by buying a share of your home so that you can stay in your own house without having the responsibility for keeping up with payments or maintenance. If you own a home you want to sell, contact the housing associations working in that area and ask them what they can do for you.
I want to complain about a housing association tenant or property - how do I find out which housing association owns the property?The Assembly has a comprehensive list of housing association homes in Wales. You can ask them to tell you which associations own which homes. If you have a complaint about the occupier or tenant try to settle your complaint directly with that person in the first instance. If a direct approach fails an approach to the landlord association for help in settling the dispute might be necessary.
See previous question about the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.
I want to complain about my housing association?Firstly you should contact your housing association and ask for a copy of its complaints procedure and follow this step by step.
If the procedure has been completed and you are still unsatisfied, you can contact the Welsh Assembly Government on 01685 729630 to explain your complaint. The Assembly can only consider investigating complaints when a tenant has exhausted the landlord’s complaints procedure. The Assembly will decide whether a complaint has been properly dealt with. The Housing Act 2005 created the recently established Public Services Ombudsman for Wales - a service which replaces the previous offices of the Local Government Ombudsman for Wales, Health Service Ombudsman for Wales, Welsh Administration Ombudsman and Social Housing Ombudsman for Wales. This servise investigates complaints made by members of the public about the way they have been treated by a public body whereby complaints will be investigated independently and impartially, and when upheld, the Ombudsman will say what the public body should do to make amends to the complainant and impress the need for improvement in its standard of service in the future.
You should also get involved with your local tenant association or federation to make sure you have a say before things go wrong, and you might want to seek election on to the housing association board, playing a crucial role in making sure that the association always strives to serve the needs of all its tenants.
For details about tenant activities, contact the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS Cymru) on 029 2023 7303, or the Welsh Tenants Federation on 01685 723922.
I own pets - can I still go on the waiting list?In most cases, yes. However there may be houses/flats that are not suitable for animals and there can be animals that are not suitable for houses/flats. The housing association will have a view on this. If you have an animal it would be best to ask the question about their policy concerning pets or other animals and how your animal will affect your application when you apply.
I am a single person but need extra room for when my children come to stay - is this possible? Yes, providing your application form makes clear that you have parental responsibilities you should then be placed on a waiting list for a 2-beroom property
What is Community Housing Cymru?We are a membership body serving housing associations and associated support providers in Wales. We exist to enable our members to work effectively and flourish in Wales by:
As a membership body, we are owned by and are accountable to our members. Our conference, training, networking, information and website programmes ensure that the housing association movement in Wales is properly informed on key issues. Our wide range of forums, task and finish groups and seminars bring together experts from our membership and elsewhere to inform strategic, policy and service development programmes.