Home-Link is the choice based lettings scheme for the Forest Heath
area and the Cambridge sub-region. This scheme was introduced
on the 22 February 2008.
Under the scheme anyone interested in applying for
social housing in the Forest Heath district, or any of the
other local authority areas in the Cambridge sub-region, will need
to register with the scheme.
STEP 1 - APPLYING
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You can download the
Home-Link application form and send it to
the address on the front of the form.
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You can register online. Follow this link to go to the
Home-Link
website.
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You can call into one of our offices in Mildenhall, Newmarket
and Brandon. Follow this link to more information about
the location and opening
hours of our offices.
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Or you can telephone the Housing Options Team for an application
form on 01638 719345.
You need to use this form if you wish to apply for a housing
association property, if you are a current tenant of Kings Forest
Housing or another housing association and wish to transfer to
another property, or you would like to apply
for sheltered accommodation.
Please note that which ever way you apply you will need to
send in copies of certain documents as proofs, these are
outlined on the last page of the application form.
STEP 2 - ASSESSING YOUR APPLICATION
When you apply to the Home-Link scheme your application
will be assessed by the housing options team.
Following assessment, your application will be awarded one of 4
bands A, B, C or D depending on your housing need.
Once we have accepted you onto the register you will be
sent the Home-Link user guide, your Home-Link number, we will
tell you which band you are in and your priority date (the date you
were placed into that band).
THE BANDS
Band A = Urgent Need
Band B = High Need
Band C = Medium Need
Band D = Adequately Housed
A is the highest band andD is the lowest. Within each of
these bands there are a number of criteria which each applicant
will be assessed against. Priority is decided by housing needs band
and by the length of time in that band, such that the person in the
highest band for the longest time will be seen to have the highest
need.
You must keep your local Council or Housing Association informed of
any changes to your circumstances i.e. changes to your household
size, medical condition or housing situation. This is very
important as it could result in changing your band or your
eligibility for certain properties.
You can download a copy of the council's
Lettings Policy which has more
information on bands and allocation criteria.
STEP 3 - BIDDING FOR PROPERTY
Available properties are advertised each fortnight on the Home-Link
web site and in the Home-Link magazine, giving you information
about each available property. You can pick up a free copy of the
Home-Link magazine from our offices and the local libraries in
Mildenhall, Newmarket and Brandon.
Properties will usually be advertised every other Friday. Your
bids must reach us by 12 noon the following Wednesday. This is
known as the bidding cycle.
Registered applicants of the Home-Link scheme will be able to
bid for a maximum of 3 properties in each bidding cycle.
You can bid in the following ways:
On the web: Go to the
Home-Link website, click on login and
log on with your Home-Link number and date of birth.
By telephone: Call 0870 727 0481 and follow the
instructions.
By text: Text 07781 472 726
By coupon: Blank coupons will be sent directly
to you with your registration pack. Each coupon will have your name
and Home-Link number printed on it. This is your individual number
so do not give your coupons to anyone else. You can request more
coupons by going to the Home-Link website or by ticking the box on
your coupon when you submit a bid.
STEP 4 - THE OFFER
Once the bidding cycle has closed, we put the bids received in
priority order to produce a shortlist of eligible applicants for
each property.
If your name is at the top of the shortlist, you will normally
be invited to view the property. If you refuse this property, the
next person on the shortlist will be invited to view it.
You do not automatically get penalised for refusing a property
you have successfully bid for, however, we may review your
circumstances if you refuse several properties, especially if you
are in a high housing needs band and need to move urgently.
People who have come top of a shortlist are usually contacted
within a week of the close of the bidding cycle.
Properties may be advertised some time before they are ready for
occupation, you will be informed of when the property is
available.
Whilst a property is under offer to you, you will not be able to
place bids on any other properties. Only one property may be on
offer to an applicant at one time.
If you receive an offer to view, and you do not intend to turn
up you must contact the landlord.
STEP 5 - FEEDBACK
All properties are listed on the Feedback page of Home-Link once
they have been let.
The feedback tells you how many people bid for each property, as
well as the band and priority date of the successful bidder. This
helps you to see how long the successful bidders have been
waiting.
It is not possible to notify you individually when your bids
have been unsuccessful.
If you have questions about how the scheme applies to you or
about bidding for properties, there are fully trained housing staff
available to support you at your local Council or Housing
Association offices.
Contact us
If you would like more information about Home-Link follow this
link to
Home-Link
website and the Housing Register and other housing
advice, contact the Housing Options Team on 01638
719345 or email -
home-link@forest-heath.gov.uk