Homechoice Housing Register

Last updated: 19/08/2010 Add to My Bookmarks

Important - Changes to Homechoice Scheme

Due to high demand, the following changes will be made to how the scheme operates

From Saturday 7th August:

If you are registered with us, you will only be able to bid on three properties each week
If you bid on a property and are the successful bidder and you agree for Cornwall Council to forward your details to the Housing Provider for consideration, you may not be able to bid on further properties until you withdraw your interest, you refuse the property, or the provider refuses you for any reason. Please use your bids carefully.
Unless there is a low demand for a property or a parish connection required, adverts will generally be restricted to Band A B and C applicants only.

If you have any queries regarding this, or anything else regarding Homechoice, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team on the number to the right.

On the 27 March 2010 Cornwall Homechoice took over as the one register to apply for social housing vacancies and affordable housing in Cornwall. All of the existing former district registers now no longer operate. All of the major housing associations have also closed their registers and now use Homechoice.

If you are a recent applicant, owing to the volume of applications and the processes involved in implementing the new Cornwall Homechoice Allocations scheme, there may be a delay of up to 8 weeks before your application can be processed.

Cornwall Homechoice apologises for any inconvenience that this may cause.

What is Cornwall Homechoice?

Homechoice is the Choice Based System for letting vacant social housing (council and housing association) to rent and affordable housing property to buy or rent/part buy in Cornwall Council. Choice-based Lettings enables you to have a greater role in deciding where you wish to live and provides a much more transparent housing system. If you apply your housing need will be assessed and you can then ‘bid’ on suitable social housing throughout Cornwall. The vacancy will be allocated to the bidder in the most housing need.

Existing council or housing association tenants can also view and place adverts seeking other social housing tenants to mutually exchange with.

I’m looking for a house to rent. Is Homechoice the right option for me?

Generally Homechoice applicants in the most urgent need for housing have the best chance of bidding successfully for social housing to rent. Below is a summary of the last 3 months

Cornwall Homechoice Summary

27th March - 30th June 2010

We currently have close to 12,000 applicants able to bid on our register with more applying each week. The table below shows the amount of applicants in each band as at 21 July 2010.

Register Summary

Band A applicants - 113

Band B applicants - 1444

Band C applicants - 2441

Band D applicants - 1435

Band E applicants - 6369

Properties Let 27 March 2010 - 30 June 2010

Bed Need	Band A	Band B	Band C	Band D	Band E	Total
6+	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	2	0	1	0	0	3
3	3	15	7	0	1	26
2	2	27	11	0	5	45
1	3	11	5	1	0	20
Totals	10	53	24	1	6	94

We have also let 32 sheltered properties (these are properties for older persons who are in housing need)

Please note these numbers show the tenancies that have actually started and does not include those applicants that are still being considered.

If you would like more detailed information regarding which property went to which band of applicant please visit the Homechoice website's Recent Lets page

For social housing in some rural or coastal areas, lower banded applicants may stand a better chance if they can show they have a connection with that parish.

Unfortunately the demand for social housing is far greater than the supply in Cornwall, so you may wish to consider speaking to the Housing Options Team using the link below, or call 0300 1234 161. They can give you useful advice regarding other housing opportunities in your area before you decide to apply to Homechoice.

Housing Advice and Options

For more information about which band may apply to you and parish connection please visit the Cornwall Homechoice website or refer to the Cornwall Homechoice Guide or ask for a copy from your nearest One Stop Shop.

Cornwall Homechoice Guide and Appendices

I’m looking for an affordable home to either buy or part buy. Is Homechoice the right option for me?

In brief, to be able to express your interest in any new affordable housing development, you will need to be registered with Cornwall Homechoice. Affordable housing differs from social rented housing as applicants are asked to express an interest in advertised affordable housing rather than having to bid. We will not assess need for affordable housing, applicants will generally be allocated property based on how long they have been registered, affordability and parish connection.

How do I apply?

Save time and paper and apply instantly on-line by visiting the Cornwall Homechoice website.

If you do not have access to the internet you can apply on-line at your local Library or One Stop Shop. You will need to have at hand:-

All household income details.
Previous addresses for at least 5 years.
NI (National Insurance) Number for the main applicant(s).
Dates of Birth for all members of the household.

You can also ring 0300 1234 161 and request a Cornwall Homechoice Application Form, or pick one up from your local One Stop Shop.

What happens next?

1. Once you have applied, your ‘need’ for housing will be assessed and you will be allocated a band from A to E to reflect this need.

2. After you have received your assessment letter you can view vacant social housing advertised weekly via the Homechoice website, the Western Morning News newspaper on Saturdays and in your local One Stop Shop.

3. You can then bid on suitable vacancies that you are interested in. You can bid via the Homechoice website, by phone or by text. The successful bidder will be the applicant in the most need. If two applicants in the same need are at the top, it will be decided by who has been in their band the longest.

Not all applicants can bid for some properties, for example; 3 Bedrooms if they need 2, disabled adapted properties, parish connections required, etc. This will be indicated in the advert when applicable.

More information is available on the Cornwall Homechoice website, or call 0300 1234 161 or ask at your local One Stop Shop.