The following article, by Housing Options lead advisor Maurice Harker, is from Community Connecting Magazine (Issue 5).

8 Ways to Get a House

This is not the real number. There's lots of ways to get a house. Or in the end there's only one way to get a house. The one you have chosen that seems to work. We calculated that if you take a number of criteria

• Tenure - whether you own or rent, part own, share and so on
• Type of Housing provider - Council, Housing Assoiation, Private market, Charity, Family or Trust
• New or Existing housing, acquisition and improvement or new build
• Built form - cluster flats, bedsits, bungalow, wheelchair accessible, shared housing
• Form of support - integral, on site, visiting, community or community network, adult placement, individual or team, paid and unpaid
• Service funding - residential care, supported housing, health funded, direct payment or individual budget
• Registration status - care home, domiciliary care, HMO, SP

there are hundreds of possible options. (But because the idea of hundreds of options is too confusing we will pretend there are 8.)

First of all we have to think what we want.

• Our plans
• Reasons for wanting to move
• How soon
• Ideal requirements - eg where, sharing or living alone, in town or somewhere quiet
• Being near jobs, college, or services, family and social networks
• Transport
• Safety security and freedom from harassment

There are other important things to think about as well as just the housing

• Support for living
• Eligibility for care and support services
• Income and benefits
• Family help with money
• Who can help with planning or finding houses

Find out about what's available in the area - like planning a shopping trip - or get someone to help you with it.

• Find people who know about housing locally
• Talk to people in the council housing department
• Ask about allocations schemes
• And local housing strategy priorities
• Which housing associations might be able to help
• Make a list of possible partners ?
• Find out about money from the Housing Corporation for new housing association building
• What could private landlords offer
• Get someone who knows about local rent levels and house prices
• Suitable areas and availability of housing to buy or let

With ideas on all these points begin with an open mind to think about a range of options. Here are 8 ways to get a house.

• Existing care homes
• Applying for housing association or Council Housing
• New housing association development
• Private landlords and private sector leasing
• Shared ownership
• Home ownership - use of Trust
• Family investment or staying put
• Buy to let

You may feel you don't know what some of these are, what they might be good for and what you can do with them. Standards of accommodation vary enormously, some better than others. Some offer more choice than others. Some may be expensive others can be a bit complicated or not quite what you want. There are some much quicker and less effort than others. There are off the peg and tailor made solutions. New buildings take time to produce but you may think it's worth waiting. Some are safe and secure and others carry an element of risk. Private renting for example may only offer short term tenancies. Residential care home providers can sell up and move abroad. Some work for sharing with others but ownership is usually ownership of your own flat or house. Some are subsidised by government money through grants or Housing Benefit others can be done with family money. It may be important to you that there is someone looking after repairs and maintenance for you. As an owner you usually have to do all this yourself. One of the options is to stay where you are but perhaps make improvements to the support you receive or to the accommodation you live in.

Housing Options has information by phone or on our website. We can also provide direct help with making plans or getting results but we have to charge a fee. You may be able to find someone locally who could help. Moving house is an important step so it's worth thinking ideas through and getting expert help.

One idea well worth thinking about at the moment is getting housing associations to produce something for you. Bids for money new building for the next two years are submitted in October 2007 so talk to housing associations now if you want new buildings, groups of flats or accommodation designed for people with physical disabilities. If you don't know how to go about it you can contact us.

If you're stuck for an idea or someone to help try enquiries@housingoptions.org.uk.

Maurice Harker
harker@housingoptions.org.uk

Housing Options, Stanelaw House, Sutton Lane, Sutton, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX29 5RY, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0)845 4561497 E-mail: enquiries@housingoptions.org.uk