When we talk about social housing we
mean the flats and houses that are managed
by local councils. You often hear social
housing referred to as council housing.
Social housing
is available to a range of people. For
example, you could be housed by your
local council if you are:
Disabled
or have specific needs
Elderly
A single parent
A large or young
family with dependant children
A migrant, refugee
or asylum seeker
Unemployed
Many people have
to leave their homes through no fault
of their own, for example if you lose
your job and can’t pay the rent.
This is not your fault and you can ask
your local council for help with finding
a new home.
Housing
Associations There are also a number of
housing associations that provide social
housing. This sort of housing is similar
to the housing provided by your local
council. However, there are a number
of differences.
The main difference
between housing association and council
housing is the agreement you will
be asked to sign before moving into
your new home. This is known as a
tenancy agreement. If you are a local
council tenant you will sign a ‘secured
tenancy’. To become a tenant
of a housing association, you sign
an ‘assured tenancy’.
Housing association
tenants do not usually have the ‘Right
to Buy' whereas people living in local
council property do. The Right to
Buy enables council tenants to buy
their home at less than the full market
value once they have been living there
for at least two years.
If you
are a council tenant, you automatically
have the right of succession. This
means that if something happens to
the tenant, the council house will
be passed on to someone else living
in the house, as long as they have
lived there for 12 months. This right
only applies to one succession.
