Council tenants

Like many other London boroughs, Ealing has a severe shortage of homes. This means that only a small number of people are likely to be assisted by the council. The following schemes are provided as alternative rehousing options for existing council tenants:

Schemes to help you buy your own home:

New Build HomeBuy (previously called shared ownership)
Open Market Homebuy for public sector tenants (previously called Homebuy)
Homebuyers Grant Scheme
Do It Yourself Shared Ownership (DIYSO)
Open Market HomeBuy for key workers (previously called key worker housing scheme)

Schemes to help you move to a new social rented home:
Mutual Exhange (Homeswap)
Out of London Scheme
Transfer Incentive Scheme

New Build HomeBuy (previously called shared ownership)
This is a part-buy part-rent scheme. The scheme enables people to buy a share of a newly built property. You buy a share (between 25%-75%) in a housing association property and rent the remaining share from the housing association. Over time you can buy more shares in the property until you eventually own the property outright. When you resell the property you keep the percentage of the property’s market value that you own. To be eligible you need to live or work in Ealing and be earning at least £20,000. Priority is given to council and housing association tenants.

Read more about New Build HomeBuy

Open Market Homebuy for public sector tenants (previously called Homebuy Scheme)
This is available to council and housing association tenants in homes with two or more bedrooms. It enables tenants to purchase 75% of a property on the open market. The remaining 25% is provided by a housing association as an equity loan which you pay back only when you resell the property.

Tel: 0845 230 8099
Website: www.housingoptions.co.uk

Home Buyers Grant Scheme
This scheme offers existing council tenants a grant of up to £30,000 to help purchase a property on the open market (when funds are available).

If you are a tenant and want to purchase your own property but have been unable to raise a large enough mortgage, this scheme may be able to help you.

The following conditions apply:

you must be a secure tenant of Ealing Council
you must have a minimum of two years' public sector tenancy
your property must have at least three bedrooms
the grant cannot be used as a deposit
the property that you purchase cannot exceed £250,000
other conditions also apply

For more information contact the home ownership team on (020) 8825 9506.

Do It Yourself Shared Ownership (DIYSO)
Tenants wishing to buy a property on the open market must purchase at least 25 per cent of the property through mortgage or savings. The remainder of the purchase price will be funded by a council grant with Bush Housing Association as a shared equity partner. Rent will be required on the remaining percentage share. Due to limited availability of places, not everyone who qualifies will be accepted onto this scheme. Contact the rehousing choice team for more information.

Mutual Exchange (HOMESWAP)
Self-help scheme to assist council tenants in finding another council or housing association tenant to swap homes. Contact your local estate manager to register, or for more information visit: www.homeswapper.co.uk

Open Market HomeBuy for key workers (previously called key worker housing scheme)
This is available to people employed in certain sectors that are seen as key to the local area’s economy eg teachers, nurses, police. It enables these people to purchase 75% of a property on the open market. The remaining 25% is provided by a housing association as an equity loan which you pay back only when you resell the property.

Tel: 0845 230 8099
Website: www.housingoptions.co.uk

Transfer Incentive Scheme
Have your children moved out leaving your current home too big for you?
Are your heating bills rising?
Would you like to be nearer to your family in another part of the borough?
Is you current home adapted for a disability but you now have no need for the adaptations?
Would you just like a smaller property to live in?

The Transfer Incentive Scheme is available to help those people whose homes are too large for them, move into a new property quickly and effortlessly. We will help you find and bid for a new property using the LOCATA scheme and also help you on moving day by arranging your removals at no cost.

You will benefit from:

help finding and bidding for a new property
help arranging and paying for a removals company, including all boxes for packing
we can help you plan your moving day
£1000 for each bedroom you give up when you move to a smaller property. For example moving from four-bed property to a one-bed would give you £3000
The money can be used in any way you choose (any money paid to you will have all outstanding rent arrears deducted from it)

Other advantages include:

If you have regular family or friends staying over you may be able to find a property with a spare bedroom for them.
If you wanted to move out of London we can also help with a seaside and country home move.

You can choose the type of accommodation and the area you wish to move to. You can move to any local partner area via LOCATA (Brent, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow) or outside London.

Moving to a smaller property can reduce your heating bills and time spent on housekeeping. If you have mobility difficulties, you may be able to move to a more suitable ground-floor location such as a flat with a lift or a bungalow. We may also be able to arrange a connection to a community alarm system or help with moving this to your new property.

You are eligible for the scheme if:

you are a secure tenant of a two, three or four bedroom property and you would like to move to a smaller property
your home requires adaptations and you agree to move to a property more suitable
your home has adaptations which you no longer require
you undertake a mutual exchange with another tenant of Ealing Council who is registered for a transfer and has priority for overcrowding

A home visit can be arranged to discuss your housing requirements and options available.

For further information, contact the housing initiatives team on (020) 8825 7686.