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Housing Associations & alternative accommodation

The Council has negotiated agreements with most of the Housing Associations in Leicester. These agreements are designed to ensure that a proportion of Housing Association vacancies, usually 50% or sometimes more, are available to people on the Council’s Housing Register.

The Council sends applicants’ details to the relevant Housing Association when a suitable property becomes available in their area, based on their position on the Housing Register.

Each Housing Association also keeps its own housing register

A leaflet explaining how to apply to a Housing Association directly can be obtained from the Housing Options Centre, Phoenix House, Welford Place or can be downloaded here

Leicester City Council also runs 15 sheltered housing schemes across the city. All of the properties are linked to an emergency alarm service. All sheltered housing tenants live independently and privately, sharing communal spaces such as lounges, laundrettes and gardens.

Each of the 15 sheltered housing schemes has its own sheltered housing officer, who if required calls in on residents regularly to provide peace of mind and to check everything is ok.
 
LeicesterLet Home Finder Scheme
 
The LeicesterLet home finder scheme provides people on a low income with the opportunity to move into a home of their choice and to avoid homelessness AND a stay in temporary accommodation.
 
By providing the advice, support and financial help required, the Council has increased the housing options available to people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness.
 
Managed by the Council’s Housing Options Prevention Team, the home finder scheme is very flexible.  It can be used, for example, to prevent private tenants from becoming homeless by helping them to find alternative accommodation when their existing tenancy is coming to an end.
 
The scheme also offers great benefits to landlords or letting agents. Leicester City Council will provide the deposit and rent in advance to a landlord or letting agent in order to obtain accommodation for a client in the private rented sector.
 
Before a property can be let under the home finder scheme, the Council will carry out a series of checks to ensure that it is affordable, safe and fit for habitation.
 
An officer from the Housing Options Prevention Team will inspect the property to check that is in a reasonable condition.  If there is a gas supply, they will request a valid gas safety certificate.
 
Under the LeicesterLet home finder scheme, letting agreements will normally be assured shorthold tenancies of at least 12 months.
 
Although not everyone helped under the home finder scheme is living on a low income, applicants will only be considered for the scheme if the Housing Options Prevention Team is satisfied that they are capable of paying their rent regularly and in full.
 
If the tenant is entitled to housing benefit, all of the housing benefit they receive will be paid directly to the landlord unless the landlord says that they are unwilling to accept direct payments.
 
For more information on the scheme, contact:
The Housing Options Prevention Team
Housing Options Service
Phoenix House
1 King Street, Leicester, LE1 6RN.
Tel: (0116) 252 6985 / 6904
 
(please note public access to Phoenix House is via Welford Place)

Related Documents

Help with downloading attachments
A guide to the LeicesterLet Home Finder scheme  (1.67 MB)
 
A guide to the Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme  (775 KB)
 
A guide to Housing Associations in Leicester  (331 KB)