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Frequently asked questions

Who is Gateway to Homechoice for?

If you want help with housing from any of the councils taking part, this scheme is for you.

Will I be able to move to any of the areas?

Yes. We believe that applicants for social housing should have the opportunity to move to other areas. The advantage of the councils working together is that once you have applied to one of the seven councils you will be able to see properties in the whole of the sub-region.

I want to move, but I don’t think I want a council house- can I still join?

The scheme will also advertise housing association properties, mutual exchange properties and shared ownership properties and in the future hopes to advertise private rented accommodation.

How do I join?

The easiest way is to apply on line. Go to websitewww.gatewaytohomechoice.org.uk and go to the application form page.

If you do not have access to a computer you can ring your local authority and they will advise you on where you can access computers or will go through the form with you over the phone.

What information do I have to provide?

You will need to make sure that you have all the relevant details to hand. These include:

• The name and address of all household members 
• Their telephone contact numbers 
• An email address (if you have one) 
• A National Insurance number for the main and second applicant 
• The date of birth of all household members 
• A full address history for the last six years of all household members 
• Your employment and income details 
• Confirmation of your local connection to the Greater Haven Gateway 

You may also be asked to supply the following:

• Any medical information which supports your application

• Confirmation of where you want to live
• Details about your current housing situation
• The type of accommodation you want to move to
• Any other information which is relevant. This could include why you left your previous accommodation or convictions for anti-social behaviour.   Information on whether convictions are spent can be found at www.yourrights.org.uk

Is the website safe and secure to give personal information?

Yes. The website is subject to a secure certificate. It should also be noted that we do not hold any financial information such as bank and credit card details.

I’m going to be homeless soon - how quickly will I get housed?

If you are threatened with homelessness, you need to contact the Housing Advice Team based in the council where you live. They have a legal responsibility to assess your needs and will advise you in more detail about your housing options.

I am a council or housing association tenant and I currently have rent arrears. Can I take part?

You will be able to take part but you will not normally be offered a new tenancy if you are still in arrears with your rent. You need to contact your landlord to discuss with them arrangements to repay your debt.

I am interested in sheltered accommodation. Can I take part?

Sheltered accommodation can only be offered to those people who are aged over 60 years of age (over 55 in case of some housing association properties).

Because we have fewer people registered in this age group applicants often do not need such a high priority and can often be successful from the lower bands.

If you are interested in sheltered accommodation you must tell us when you apply.

Extra care or very sheltered accommodation caters for older people with a care need which has been assessed by Social Care Services. The scheme will not be used to allocate places within these schemes although you must still be registered for housing. For more information please contact your local Council.

I live in a Council house, which is too large for me. What can I do?

If you are in a home that is too large for you and you would like to move to a smaller home, please join the scheme. Some council's offer a cash incentive to tenants moving to smaller accommodation.

I am a council or housing association tenant who wants to move. What band will I be in?

Tenants living in council or housing association homes are assessed in the same way as other applicants. Your priority depends on the home you live in and your need for alternative accommodation.

If your home is overcrowded or there is an urgent need to move, a high priority will be given but if your house is suitable for your needs, you will be given a low priority to move.

If you have a home suitable for your needs it is usually quicker to find another council or housing association tenant to swap homes with. This is called a ‘mutual exchange’.

I don’t think I am able to get to a council office or have access to a computer. How can you help me?

If you need help please contact the council where you applied to discuss how they can help you.

It may be possible to mail empty property details to you or for a bid to be placed on your behalf automatically.

You can also appoint a family member, friend or advocate to bid on your behalf. All you need to do is let them have your application number to do this.

I am homeless and in temporary accommodation. Can I still take part in the scheme?

Yes. If you have applied as homeless to any of the seven councils and they have accepted that you are unintentionally homeless and in priority need, you will be placed in Band B.

You can take part in the same way as other applicants. However you can only select homes in the council area where you applied as homeless.

However, if you do not take part in the scheme within the first three months of being assessed you will be contacted by your local council to find out the reasons why you have not placed a bid.

If you cannot give a reason for not bidding we may decide to make a direct offer without giving you any choice. If you refuse the property the council may consider that it has discharged its duty towards you. You will then be placed in a lower band.

What does it mean to register an interest or bid?

Bidding or registering an interest simply means putting your name forward for the properties you are interested in.

Bidding is nothing to do with money. The property will be offered to the person in the highest band who has been waiting the longest.

You can select up to 2 properties weekly.

How will I know if it is worth showing an interest in a property?

When you select a property through the website it will tell you what position you are in for that property at that moment in time. For example, if you can see you are 100 in line for the property you will know that there is little chance of being offered that property and you may wish to select another.

We will only ever house about 20% of the people on the register. If you are not in a high band (A or B), you are unlikely to be successful for a property unless it is a lower demand property such as sheltered accommodation or in an area of less demand.

That is why we are hoping to include other housing options in the scheme, for example, privately rented homes.

We will display information showing the band and effective date of the person who was allocated the property in subsequent advertising cycles. We will also show how many people selected each property.

Can I select a property that is bigger than my needs?

No, you will only be able to select properties that you are eligible for. You will have been told what size property you are eligible for on your registration letter.

Can I select a property that is smaller than my needs?

In certain circumstances we may allow you to bid for a property that is smaller than you qualify for under our allocations policy. For example, if you are in a 2 bedroom property with 3 girls and 1 boy, under our policy you would be entitled to a 4 bedroom property.

If you wish to bid for a 3 bedroom property you must tell your local Council and we will allow your move, if the landlord agrees, to a three bedroom property as long as you are improving your housing circumstances.

Do I have to bid every week?

No. You do not have to bid every time. However if you do not take part you will be restricting your chance of being offered a property.

Those who have been accepted through homelessness and applicants in Band A will be monitored to see if they are taking part. If they are not bidding, we will contact them to find out why. If they continue not to bid we may make a bid on their behalf and they will lose their choice of area.

If I join the scheme will I be offered a property?

No, applicants must select properties to be considered for them.

My bids keep being unsuccessful. Is there any point in me carrying on bidding?

Whether you are the successful bidder depends on who else wants a particular property.

The lower your housing need band the longer it may take for you to be housed. However if you are in the lowest band (Band E) and waiting for general needs housing it is unlikely that you will be housed.

The more flexible you are about the area you wish to live in and the type of property you want and the more properties you bid for, the more likely you are to be successful.

If you are in the lower bands you may want to look at other housing options such as low cost ownership, private rented accommodation etc which we hope to include in the scheme at a later date.

Why won’t the system let me apply for certain properties?

You can only apply for properties for which you meet the qualifying criteria. The size of property you can apply for will be on your joining letter.

If you try and apply for properties for which you do not meet the qualifying criteria the system will not let you apply.

If I bid earlier in the week am I more likely to get the property?

No. Applying earlier will make no difference. We always house by priority, not first come first served.

The system says my password (date of birth) is incorrect – why is this?

You must use the date of birth of the primary applicant when you originally applied to join the housing register.

How can I find out the council tax band of a property I am interested in?

You can search for any property and check the council tax band on the government website: www.voa.gov.uk.

Who are adapted properties offered to?

Properties suitable for people with disabilities are often advertised with an accessibility code. Preference will be given to those applicants who have been assessed as needing that type of property.

When will I hear if I am successful?

If you are successful in selecting a property you will normally be contacted on the Thursday or Friday after the advertising comes to an end.

The first three bidders may be contacted and you will be advised whether you are 1st, 2nd or 3rd.

If you are a tenant, your landlord will be contacted to provide a reference.

If you are successful for more than one property in an advertising cycle you will be contacted and asked to say which one you are interested in.

Why do properties in rural areas usually go to local people?

Some new and existing housing association developments within villages are built to meet local housing needs. For these properties priority is given to applicants with a strong local connection. This does not mean that the person must be living in the village. They could work there or have close family members living in the village.

Other rural properties are available for anyone to bid for.

Why are some homes not advertised?

Councils and Housing Associations want to advertise all their empty homes as widely as possible. However, in exceptional cases a home may not be advertised as being available to let.

This could be because it is needed urgently to deal with an emergency, or to house people undergoing major repairs. This could also apply if the home is specifically adapted and meets a particular need of an applicant, or to use to provide temporary accommodation to fulfil a statutory duty to the homeless.

We will inform you in the feedback which we provide whenever we take this decision.

How do you make sure the scheme is fair? 

In June 2010 we completed a full Equalities Impact Assessment.  For further information on what this involved please see our report. 

To see the full Impact Assessment documentation please click here, or for the accompanying action plan please see here.

Will I need any money up front?

You may need to pay the first month's rent in advance.  If you usually claim housing benefit then you can show proof of this instead.