What is Home-Link? 

Am I eligible to register on Home-Link?

• You work in the local authority area for 16 hours or more per week
• You have lived in the local authority area for at least six of the last 12 months, or three of the last five years
• You have family members who are resident in the local authority area. Family members are defined as parents, sons and daughters who have been resident in the local authority for a period of five years or longer. Other close family ties will be considered on a case by case basis
• You are owed a full housing duty under the relevant homelessness legislation by a Home-Link authority partner
• You are a member of the UK Armed Forces or former Service personnel, where your application is made within five years of discharge
• You are a bereaved spouse or civil partner of a member of the UK Amed Forces leaving Services Family Accommodation following the death of your spouse or partner
• You are a serving or former member of the UK Reserve Forces who needs to move because of a serious injury, medical condition or disability sustained as a result of your service
• You are a relevant person as defined by a Regulation 4 of the Allocation of Housing (Qualification Criteria for Right of Move (England) Regulations 2015)
• You or a member of your household needs to move away from another area to escape violence or harm
• You are a care leaver from one of the Home-Link local authority partners who has been placed (by Children's Services) outside the Home-Link local authority partner area
• There are special circumstances that a Home-Link authority partner considers which gives you a local connection

How to apply 

What do I need to supply?

• Proof of identity for all household members (e.g. passports, birth certificates)
• Proof of current address (e.g. recent utility bill)
• Evidence of your right to reside in the UK if you are not a British Citizen (e.g. passport & other relevant Home Office documentation)
• Proof of income and other financial details
• Supporting information about any medical issues or support you receive (if this applies to you)

What happens if I do not provide the required documents?

How do I know if I have been accepted onto the housing register?

You will receive an email or letter confirming that you have been accepted onto the housing register. This will tell you the band you have been placed in, the date your application has been registered from and the size of property you are eligible for.

Can they refuse to accept me?

There are some people who are not eligible to be included on the Housing Register. These are:

• Certain people who are subject to Immigration Control under the 1996 Asylum and Immigration Act.)
• Certain people who are not subject to immigration control but who are not habitually resident in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland.
• People (including members of their household) who have been guilty of unacceptable behaviour that makes them unsuitable to be a tenant

What is a Band?

You will receive a letter after your application has been made live confirming your banding (A, B, C or D) and band reason. Your assessed banding will depend on your household circumstances and housing need. 

BAND A - (Urgent Need)

• You are a council or housing association tenant who needs to move urgently, for example because your property is about to be demolished or redeveloped
• You are leaving Social Services care or are a current resident of supported housing and you have been assessed as being ready to move into independent accommodation
• You are occupying a property which has been assessed as posing an urgent health and safety risk to you and your family
• You have an urgent medical condition, and your current housing is having a major adverse effect on the medical condition
• You have been assessed as needing two more bedrooms than you currently have
• You are a council or housing association tenant with two or more bedrooms than you need and are willing to move to a smaller property. Or, you live in an adapted property and the adaptations are no longer required. For example, if the person requiring the adaptations has moved out or passed away
• You are homeless and one of the partner councils owes you a main homelessness duty
• You have two or more needs from Band B

BAND B - (High Need)

• You are occupying a property which has been assessed as posing a high health and safety risk to you and your family
• You have a high need to move because of a medical condition, and your current housing is having a significant adverse effect on the medical condition
• You have been assessed as needing one more bedroom than you currently have
• You are a council or housing association tenant and are living in a property with one bedroom more than you require and you are willing to move to a smaller property
• You have a high need to move because of harassment or threat of violence or abuse
• You are threatened with homelessness and are working with the homelessness prevention service to try and prevent your homelessness
• You are sleeping rough and have no other accommodation available to you. The council will verify this before awarding this priority
• You have three or more needs from Band C

BAND C - (Medium Need)

• You have a medium need to move because of a medical condition, and your current housing is having a minimal effect on the medical condition
• You have a need to move for social reasons, for example to give or receive support to a family member, or for employment reasons, are more than 24 weeks pregnant or you have a child under 10 years and live above the ground floor
• You are lacking or sharing facilities within your home with people who are not family members. Facilities may include a living room, kitchen or bathroom
• You are homeless or threatened with homelessness and are either intentionally homeless, not in priority need or are owed a main homeless duty by a local authority that are not a partner organisation in the sub-region

BAND D

• Any applicant who does not meet any of the criteria in Bands A, B or C will be assessed as having a low level of housing need and placed in Band D
• Any applicant assessed as having sufficient financial resources to resolve their own housing need will be placed in Band D. These applicants will only be considered for an offer of a property once all other bidding applicants who do not have sufficient financial resources to resolve their own housing need have been considered

If you consider that the band you have been placed in does not reflect your circumstances you can discuss this with us.

How to bid 

• At www.home-link.org.uk (external link)
• Ask an ECDC Housing Options Officer to bid for you

How long do I need to wait before I get a property?

There is no straightforward answer to this question. It depends on:

• The number of bids for the same property
• Your banding
• The length of time you have been registered on Home-Link

How do I know my bidding was successful? 

• The bids received are put in priority order to produce a shortlist of eligible applicants for each property
• The Housing Association who manages the property will contact you to establish your interest in the property and arrange an appointment for you to view it

Are carpets and appliances provided?

REMEMBER 

• Only bid for properties that closely match your needs
• Properties available to rent are advertised from midnight on a Thursday to midnight the following Wednesday every week (six days)
• You will be able to bid for a maximum of three properties during the time they are advertised
• Make sure we have your latest phone number and address and email address
• It is important to keep us informed of any changes to your circumstances (for example: changes to your household size, housing situation or medical condition) as these may affect your band or your eligibility for certain properties
• Be aware that you have to renew your registration every year. You will receive a reminder letter from us. If you don’t return it, your application will be cancelled
• Home-Link is not the only way to find a home you can try other housing options as well: For example, Home Swapper, Private Rented Sector, Share home or Home Exchange

Who to contact for further advice