HOMESEEKERS Newsletter 2013-14

We hope you find this year’s newsletter informative and helpful. The information is there to help you make your choice about areas, property types and how long you wait for a home and to let you know how the vacant homes in have been allocated.

Housing register changes is criteria and also demonstrate a need • Working or volunteering for housing. changing the way it allocates • Being in education or training The proposed changes to the social housing. • Being good tenants Housing Register are currently under Social housing is a valuable resource consultation. • Fostering or adopting which can support those most in need. Under the new proposals an • Having serviced in the armed forces additional preference will be given to Fairness and flexibility are central to Housing Register applicants have applicants who contribute positively the proposed scheme. Households been asked to have their say by to the local area by: must meet the governments completing an online questionnaire. eligibility and reasonable preference • Living in Slough

Want to move home? Welfare benefit The quick and easy way to find the Do you have changes 2013 right sized home for you. too many bedrooms? Visit our website now and find the From April 2013 the amount of From 1 April 2013 the Welfare Reform home that matches your needs exactly benefit you can receive will be Act comes into force. As part of the act, - with the UK’s biggest and best direct capped. The maximum allowed the Government will reduce the level home swap service. will be: of housing benefit you receive if you www.HomeSwapper.co.uk are under occupying your home. This • £500 per week for single parents With over 65,000 homes successfully means if you are of working age and • £500 per week for couple with or swapped, HomeSwapper is the UK’s live in a home that is too big for you, without children your housing benefit may not cover all largest community of social housing • £350 per week for single people of your rent. tenants looking for a house swap, flat without children swap or council house exchange. If you think you will be affected by the The council has a limited amount housing benefit cut you can downsize of money that can be paid to Here’s how HomeSwapper works: to a smaller home. Moving house to a people who need extra help with new property with the right number of • Log on to their housing costs. www.HomeSwapper.co.uk bedrooms for you means you won’t be affected by the cut. HomeSwapper can Please visit our website or contact • Enter your details and the details help you find a swap with someone us on 01753 475111 if you want of the type of home you’re looking who needs somewhere bigger to live. more information on discretionary for housing payments. You’ll find lots of stories from happy • HomeSwapper will automatically home swappers on our website. So if To receive extra help you must match you to possible home you’re thinking of moving home, already be in receipt of housing swaps - it’s that simple! downsizing or upsizing, make your benefit. Thousands of people have already first move now go to found their ideal home this way. www.HomeSwapper.co.uk. Table 1: Housing Demand 2013 (as at 01/04/2013) The table below shows how many households are on the register by the type size and band.

Beds by Application type Bedroom Application type Total 1 2 3 4 5+ Homeless 11 38 14 8 2 73 Older people 639 14 0 0 0 653 General 2283 2083 1259 289 51 5965 Older people transfer 108 8 0 0 0 116 General transfer 28 89 188 47 7 359 Total 3069 2232 1461 344 60 7166

Bedroom size by Band Bedroom Band Total 1 2 3 4 5+ A (Urgent need) 58 17 6 3 0 84 B (priority) 1809 901 716 194 36 3656 C (lesser priority) 803 1097 623 119 18 2660 D (no priority) 394 217 119 30 6 766 Total 3064 2232 1464 346 60 7166

Application type by Band Band Application type A B C D Total Homeless 12 61 0 0 73 Older People 8 252 237 156 653 General 12 3056 2423 474 5965 Older People transfer 40 19 0 57 116 General transfer 12 268 0 79 359 Total 84 3656 2660 766 7166

Table 2: Average weekly waiting time by bedroom size for all council and housing association lettings in 2012-2013

BAND A B C Over 50’s 55 94.9 128 1 Bedroom 25.9 195.4 216.9 2 Bedroom 25.5 170.9 281.4 3 Bedroom 22.5 271.2 360.7 4 Bedroom 44 319.9 444.8 5+ Bedroom NIL 344.9 386.1 Table 3: Vacancies 2012-2013 Where the Slough Borough Council and Housing Association vacancies occurred 2012-2013.

Area Studio/1 bed 2 bed 3 bed 4 bed 5 bed + Total Britwell 19 23 14 4 0 60 Central 15 6 4 1 0 26 9 3 1 0 0 13 Green 13 3 3 4 0 23 Cippenham Junction 13 7 3 0 0 23 Cippenham Meadows 7 6 7 3 5 28 2 2 0 0 0 4 Ditton Park 0 1 0 0 0 1 Foxborough 33 5 7 0 0 45 Haymill 0 1 2 0 0 3 Kedermister 35 11 9 0 1 56 Lower Britwell 5 2 1 0 0 8 Manor Park 7 10 14 0 0 31 Northborough 13 6 3 0 0 22 Priory 4 6 3 0 0 13 Stoke Baylis 12 2 0 1 0 15 St Marys 3 4 0 0 0 7 Sutton Lane 0 0 0 0 0 0 Town Centre 7 4 2 2 0 15 Upton 6 0 1 1 0 8 The Village 6 3 1 0 0 10 20 14 14 4 0 52 Total 229 119 89 20 6 463 Help-to-Buy Slough Equity Loan Scheme Shared Ownership (part-buy/part-rent) Slough Borough Council, in Help to Buy is a new government led conjunctions with Catalyst Housing Shared Ownership, also often referred equity loan scheme which is now open Ltd, have developed a ‘Slough Home to as part-buy/part-rent, allows you to to both first time buyers and existing Purchase Assistance Scheme’. Places buy a part share of a property (usually home-owners who want to trade up. on this scheme are very limited and between 25% to 75%) and pay a Buyers will be given a 20% equity loan will be offered on a first-come, first subsidised rent for the part that you which has to be used towards the cost served basis to eligible households. To don’t own. This gives you the of purchasing a new build home on a qualify you need to be: opportunity to buy additional shares new build development. With the Help as your financial situation evolves or to Buy equity loan you only have to • a Slough Borough Council tenant or save a deposit for the next step on the find a 5% deposit towards the housing association tenant living in property ladder. purchase. You do not have to pay Slough interest on the loan for the first 5 years These schemes are usually on new • seeking to buy a home of your own but from year 6 onwards, an interest build developments but you can but need some financial assistance charge is payable. sometimes buy resale properties - You could be eligible to access up to properties already owned under You can find out more information £50,000 in the form of a ‘low-interest- shared ownership but the owners are on the Help-to-Buy scheme and the only’ loan to boost your affordability selling them on. Help-to-Buy: Mortgage Guarantee and buy a home of your choice in the scheme (to be launched in January You can find further information on open market. 2014) from the Catatlyst website at: the Slough website at: www.catalysthomebuy.co.uk/home To register your interest, or for more www.slough.gov.uk/housing/low- seekers/schemes/help-to-buy. information or an application form cost-home-ownership-schemes.aspx call Catalyst Housing Ltd on 0845 601 7729 or email [email protected] or Lou McKay, housing solutions officer on 01753 475111. Money to Move BRONZE Who is eligible? £1000 per bedroom released All secure council and housing The council is committed to make best • Tenants will be responsible for their association tenants over the age of 50. use of our available housing stock to own removals. Housing association tenants must get meet the demand for households of all their landlord’s permission and the sizes who need an affordable home. SILVER property you vacate must be returned This scheme provides an opportunity £500 per bedroom released plus: for the council’s use. for people whose council or housing • Packing, removals and unpacking You should be able to move to a one association homes are too large for (includes lofts, sheds, outhouses etc. bedroom property, within Slough, them, to move to smaller alternative within the perimeter of the property). without being over-crowded. accommodation. • Free disposal of unwanted goods. Rent arrears If you have a council or housing GOLD We will still consider your request if you association property, you are over the £250 per bedroom released plus: are in rent arrears but the money due to age of 50 (if joint tenants, one tenant • Packing, removals and unpacking you will be used to pay off your arrears must be over the age of 50) and you are (includes lofts, sheds, outhouses etc. first. If your arrears exceed the amount prepared to move to a one bedroom within the perimeter of the property). of money we would pay to you, then property within the Slough Borough • Free disposal of unwanted goods. you will not be considered until you Council area, then you may be eligible • Fitted carpets in bedroom and living have either reduced or cleared your for this scheme. room. arrears. During the year 2012/2013, 31 • Curtain rails fitted in living room and Poor repair households moved home using this bedroom. We may still be interested in your home scheme and received cash to move. • Home safety equipment - window even if you haven’t been able to The following three options are locks, door chains, smoke detectors maintain it. Some of the costs to put it available but if your rent arrears etc, where appropriate. right may come out of the money you exceeds any payment under these • Individual viewings, advice about the receive. scheme, fixtures and fittings, support options, then you cannot take part in How to apply this scheme. and advocacy. • After care service at approximately 6 Telephone 01753 475111 or weeks after moving. 01753 875543 and ask for further advice and an application form.

How to contact us

Visit us at MyCouncil, Landmark Place, High Street, Slough SL1 1JL

Write to us at Housing Services (The Centre), St Martins Place, 51 Bath Road, Slough SL1 3UF

Call us on 01753 475111

Fax 01753 875434

Minicom 01753 875030

Visit our website www.slough.gov.uk