It used to be the case that if you wanted to apply for a house with Orwell, you would have to fill out an application form and join our waiting list. You would also have to join the waiting lists for all other Housing Associations, and the Local Council. If your circumstances changed, you would then have to tell everyone who you had registered your details with of the change. Very time consuming! Luckily the registration process has become much simpler for prospective tenants, with Local Authorities choosing to manage their allocations in 2 different ways, both of which are explained below:

Common Housing Registers

Most Housing Association's, including Orwell Housing, joined what is known as the 'Common Housing Registers'. This means that if you are looking for a house, you only need to join the one waiting list, that of your Local Council, and if your circumstances change, you will only need to let the Council know! Whenever a property becomes available at Orwell, we will then speak to the Local Authority, who will give us nominations of people who are in greatest need.

Choice Based Letting (CBL)

CBL is an exciting new way of allocating properties, which allows you the applicant to have more choice and control over where you live. Choice based lettings schemes have now started in many area's and once you are registered, you will be told what kind of properties you are able to bid for. Each of the CBL’s will be able to advise you on how the schemes work. Generally properties are listed weekly or fortnightly in newspapers or on a web page. If you are interested in a property, then you will have a certain amount of time to 'bid' on it. Once bidding has finished, you will be notified if you are successful.

Gateway to Homechoice - Choice Based Lettings Scheme

The way in which social housing is allocated across the Greater Haven Gateway changed at the end of 2008. The following Local Authorities worked together in partnership to develop the new Choice Based Lettings (CBL) scheme for the Greater Haven Gateway:

• Babergh District Council
• Braintree District Council
• Colchester Borough Council
• Ipswich Borough Council
• Maldon District Council
• Mid Suffolk District Council
• Suffolk Coastal District Council

Tendring Council chose not to join the sub regional scheme.

The main difference of the new approach is available homes will be advertised and you will be able to express an interest in the homes that suit your requirements. All empty council and housing association homes in the seven council areas will be advertised on the Gateway to Homechoice website, at local offices and in a property newsletter, and anyone on the register can put in a bid for homes they would like.

If you are looking for a council or housing association home in Babergh, Braintree, Colchester, Ipswich, Maldon, Mid Suffolk and Suffolk Coastal you now only have to complete one application form. Your needs will be assessed against the same clear set of criteria no matter where you live.

The Councils have adopted one common allocations policy against which everyone will be assessed. An applicant will only need to apply to one of the Councils but can be considered for housing in any of the areas.

A common allocations policy has been developed and consultation on this policy took place from December 2007 to February 2008. The policy has now been approved by all of the above Councils. The full common allocations policy can be downloaded here. This policy came into effect when choice based lettings was launched at the end of 2008. 

Each home that is made available through Gateway to Homechoice will go to the applicant with the highest need in the highest band. If two families or people in the same band bid for the same home, it will go to the people that have been waiting the longest.

For more information about Gateway to Homechoice and how the scheme works, please click here. 

Home-link

Home-Link is the choice based lettings scheme for Council and Housing Association properties in the Cambridge sub-region. This scheme allows you to choose where you would prefer to live of the housing that is available. The scheme has been introduced by St Edmundsbury Borough Council and six other local authorities which make up the Cambridge sub-region, including Forest Heath District Council.<\p>

For more information about Choice Based Lettings and how to apply for housing please click here

Alternatively, you may call St. Edmundsbury Borough Council on (01284) 757178 or click here to visit the St. Edmundsbury Borough website

HomeSelect

Homeselect is the choice based letting scheme for Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Waveney District Council in partnership with local Housing Associations. For more information about HomeSelect and how to apply for housing please click here.

Home Options

Home Options is the new way in which people can apply for social housing, shared ownership, key worker housing or access other housing options in the council areas of Broadland, Norwich and South Norfolk. The scheme lets you apply for the housing option of your choice instead of having to wait for an offer from one of the three councils.

For more information on Home Options and how to apply for housing please click here.

Applying for Housing

Depending on where you wish to live, the Association will accept nominations from a local authority or council or bids through the local Choice Based Letting (CBL) process. To view contact details for the various local authorities click here.