User Guide - Swale Borough Council
Contents
1. previous properties that have been advertised so you will be able to see the band or points that the successful bidder for each property had You should be able to find all the information you need in this guide but please contact us if you have any questions about Kent Homechoice You can find our contact details in the contacts section of the scheme user guide ii KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE Page 3 How Kent Homechol There are five steps for you to follow in order to choose your new home You are automatically a member of Kent Homechoice if you are registered on the council s housing register If you are not registered for housing you can contact your council for an application form Once your completed application has been assessed and you have been included on the housing register we will write to you Some of the councils operate a points scheme and others a banding scheme to assess priority We will tell you what band points you are in the size of property you are eligible for and your unique Kent Homechoice number You will also be sent a User Guide You can express an interest in up to three properties so long as you are eligible to be considered for them in the fortnightly cycle This is known as placing bids for properties Homes are advertised in a freesheet called Kent Homechoice and on the website www kenthomechoice org uk There is more information about how to obtain the freesheet on p2. 00pm Sat 9 00am to 5 00pm Phone 01795 476545 Alexander Centre Preston Street Faversham Kent ME13 8NY Mon to Thur 9 00am 5 00pm Fri 9 00am 4 30pm Phone 01795 417622 Swale House East Street Sittingbourne Kent ME10 3HT Mon to Thur 9 00am 5 00pm Fri 9 00am 4 30pm Phone 01795 417622 Trinity Road Sheerness Kent ME12 2PG Swale Borough Council Sheerness Mon to Thur 9 00am 5 00pm Fri 9 00am 4 30pm Phone 01795 417622 41 Stone Street Faversham Kent ME13 8PH Mon 8 00am 6 00pm Tue Thur and Fri 8 30am 5 00pm Wed 8 30 am 4 00pm except the first Wed of the month which is 8 30am 3 30pm Phone 01795 434343 1 Bank House Broadway Sheerness Kent ME12 1TW Mon 8 00am 6 00pm Tue Thur and Fri 8 30am 5 00pm Wed 8 30 am 4 00pm except the first Wed of the month which is 8 30am 3 30pm Phone 01795 434343 5 Roman Square Sittingbourne Kent ME10 4BJ Mon 8 00am 6 00pm Tue Thur and Fri 8 30am 5 00pm Wed 8 30 am 4 00pm except the first Wed of the month which is 8 30am 3 30pm Phone 01795 434343 Citizens Advice Bureau Sheerness Sittingbourne Library Swale Borough Council Faversham Swale Borough Council Sittingbourne Swale Housing Faversham Swale Housing Sheerness Swale Housing Sittingbourne i KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE Page 13 Where to get the Kent Homechoice freesheet or view on line CONTINUED Thanet
3. 101 London Road Sevenoaks Kent TN13 1AX West Kent Housing Association Open Monday to Friday 8 45am to 5 15pm except Friday when closes at 4 45pm Phone 01732 749433 Swanley Office Unit 38 39 Swanley Centre Nightingale Way Swanley BR8 7TQ Open Monday to Friday 8 45am to 5 15pm except Friday when closes at 4 45pm Phone 01732 749400 Gamecock Meadow London Road West Kingsdown Kent TN15 6EL Open Tuesday 1 00pm 7 00pm Thursday 1 00pm 5 30pm Friday 9 00am 1 30pm amp Saturday 10 00am 2 00pm Phone 01474 854623 London Road Westerham Kent TN16 1BD Open Tuesday 9 00am 6 00pm Wednesday 9 00am 1 00pm Thursday 9 00am 5 00pm Friday 9 00am 5 00pm amp Saturday 9 00am 12 30pm Phone 01959 562326 Hartley Library Sevenoaks Library West Kent Housing Association West Kingsdown Library Westerham Library Page 12 KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE in Swale Borough Council 43 Stone Street Faversham Kent ME13 8PH Citizens Advice Bureau Faversham Mon Wed and Fri 10am 2 30pm Phone 0844 499 4125 24 7 Hope Street Centre Hope Street Sheerness ME12 1QH Mon and Wed 10am 2pm Phone 0844 499 4124 24 7 17 Station Street Sittingbourne Kent ME10 3DU Citizens Advice Bureau Sittingbourne Mon Tue Wed and Fri 10 00am 12 30pm Phone 0844 499 4124 24 7 Central Avenue Sittingbourne Kent ME10 4AH Mon Tue Wed Fri 9 00am to 6 00pm Thur 9 00am to 8
4. 30am 5 30pm Saturday 6 30am 1 00pm amp Sunday 8 00am 12 00pm Phone 01892 871108 Ash Road Hartley Longfield Kent DA3 8EL Open Tuesday 9 00am 5 00pm Thursday 9 00am 5 00pm Friday 9 00am 5 00pm amp Saturday 10 00am 2 00pm Phone 01474 704403 Parkview High Street Leigh Tonbridge Kent TN11 8RL Open Monday to Tuesday 9 00am 1 00pm amp 2 00pm Leigh Post Office 5 30pm Wednesday 9 00am 1 00pm Thursday to Friday 9 00am 1 00pm amp 2 00pm 5 30pm amp Saturday 9 00am 12 30pm Phone 01732 832194 Otford Road Sevenoaks Kent TN14 5EG Sainsbury s Otford Open Monday to Friday 6 30am 10 30pm Saturday 6 30am 10 00pm amp Sunday 10 00am 4 00pm Phone 01732 742561 Argyle Road Sevenoaks Kent TN13 1HG Sevenoaks District Council Open Monday to Friday 8 45am to 5 00pm except Friday when closes at 4 45pm Phone 01732 227000 Buckhurst Lane Sevenoaks Kent TN1 1LQ Open Monday to Wednesday 9 00am 6 00pm Thursday 9 00am 8 00pm Friday 9 00am 6 00pm amp Saturday 9 00am 5 00pm Phone 01732 453118 London Road Swanley Kent BR8 7AE Swanley Library Open Monday to Thursday 9 30am 5 30pm Friday 9 30am 6 00pm amp Saturday 9 00am 4 00pm Phone 01322 662570 Aisher Way Riverhead Sevenoaks Kent TN13 2QS Tesco Riverhead Open Monday to Friday 24 hours Saturday 00 01 10 00pm amp Sunday 10 00am 4 00pm Phone 0845 6779593
5. 3HT Phone 01795 417622 Email housingregister swale gov uk Office open from Monday to Friday 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm Telephone Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm Friday 9am to 4 30pm Thanet District Council www thanet gov uk housing council_ housing apply_for_council_housing aspx Contact Details Housing Options Team Cecil Street Margate Kent CT9 1XZ Phone 01843 577277 Email housing thanet gov uk Office open from Monday to Wednesday 9 00am 6 00pm Thursday 9 00am 8 00pm Friday 9 00am 6 00pm Saturday 9 00am 5 00pm Telephone Monday to Thursday 8 45am 5 30pm Friday 8 45am 5 00pm Page 8 KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE i Housing association partners AmicusHorizon Group 60 Bell Road Sittingbourne ME10 4HE Phone 01795 434 343 post swale housing org uk Carr Gomm Area Office 2 Roman Road Faversham Kent ME13 8PZ Phone 01795 590500 info carrgomm co uk Downland HA part of Affinity Sutton Stoke House Church Road Ashford TN23 1RD Phone 0845 688 7717 Home Group 3 Cantelupe Mews Cantelupe Road East Grinstead West Sussex RH19 3BG Phone 01342 301 750 home eastgs homegroup org uk Hyde Housing Association Ltd Suite 3 Orchard House Orchard Street Canterbury CT2 8AP Phone 01227 825200 canterbury enquiries hyde housing co uk Moat 7th Floor North Tubs Hill House London Road Sevenoaks TN12 1BL Phone 0845 600 1006 customer moat co uk Place
6. Collier House Mead Lane Hertford SG13 7UZ Phone 0800 781 4755 southeast sanctuary housing co uk Town amp Country Housing Group Monson House Monson Way Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 1LQ Phone 01892 514 614 info tchg org uk i KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE Page 9 Where to get the Kent Homechoice freesheet or view on line Each Kent Homechoice freesheet is valid for one bidding period running from 9 00am Monday to 12 00 noon the following Monday Remember you can bid on the web from the previous Friday Make sure you bid from a Kent Homechoice freesheet that is in date The date will clearly be shown on the front of the freesheet The Kent Homechoice freesheets are available from Canterbury City Council Second Floor 24 Burgate Canterbury CT1 2HA Open Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm except Wednesday 10am to 1pm Phone 01227 762605 Open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Canterbury Library Saturday 9am to 5pm Phone 01227 463608 Military Road Canterbury CT1 1YW Canterbury Main Office Open Monday to Friday 8 30am to 5pm Phone 01227 862000 William Street Herne Bay CT6 5NX Herne Bay Divisional Office Open Monday to Friday 8 45am to 4 45pm Phone 01227 363686 124 High Street Herne Bay CT6 5JY Open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm Phone 01227 374896 Chafy Crescent Sturry Canterbury CT2 OBA Opening hours Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday 9am to 6pm Saturday 10am to 2pm
7. District Council The Beacon Birchington Library Broadstairs amp St Peters Town Clerks Office Citizens Advice Bureau Connexions Minster Library and Neighbourhood Centre Outpatients A amp E Department QEQM Ramsgate District Office Thanet Gateway Plus Westgate Library Page 14 KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE i Manston Road Ramsgate Kent CT12 6NT Monday to Friday 9am 50m Phone 01843 855200 Alpha Road Birchington Kent CT7 9EG Weekdays 9am 6pm closed all day Wednesday Saturdays 10am 2pm Phone 01843 841883 Pierremont Hall Broadstairs Kent CT 10 1JX Mondays to Fridays 9am 2pm Phone 01843 868718 The Old Town Hall Market Street Margate CT9 1EU Monday to Friday 9 30 12 30 Phone 01843 225973 Advice Line 01843 232666 Appointments Line Paragon House Albert Street Ramsgate Monday to Friday 10am 7pm Tues Thurs amp Fri 9am 5pm Wed 10am 5pm Phone 01843 593395 This is a young persons service 4a Monkton Road Minster Kent CT12 4EA Mondays 2pm 6pm Tuesday 9 30am 1pm then 2pm 6pm Wednesday closed Thursday 9 30am 1pm then 2pm Friday 9 30am 6pm Saturdays 9 30am 1pm Phone 01843 8211442 St Peters Road Margate Kent CT9 4AN 24hrs hours a day 7 days per week Phone 01843 225544 14 York Street Ramsgate Kent CT11 9DS Monday to Friday 8 45am 12 30pm Phone 01843 577000 Cecil Square Margate Kent CT9 1XZ Weekdays 9am 6pm Thurdays till 8om and
8. Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm Application forms are also available from the reception areas of your Council office HomeBuy the products New Build HomeBuy This shared ownership option offers brand new homes on a part buy part rent basis You purchase the share that you can afford and pay a low rent to the housing association on the remainder Shares between 25 and 75 are usually available You can buy more shares in the property at a later stage if you wish to Rent to HomeBuy This is anew government initiative announced in September 2008 where you can rent a property at a discounted rent set at approximately 80 of private market rents with an expectation that you will convert the tenancy to New Build HomeBuy within a period of three years This period will give you opportunity to save up for a deposit towards your mortgage Details of Rent to HomeBuy are still emerging but it is most likely that you will need to be eligible to purchase a property ie in full time permanent employment and with a good credit history As properties become available for Rent to HomeBuy they will be promoted on www homebuy co uk and information will be sent out to people who have registered for this product with the HomeBuy Agent Open Market HomeBuy two options a MyChoiceHomeBuy offers you a shared equity loan that can be used in conjunction with a conventional mortgage A low monthly interest charge of 1 75
9. Phone 01227 711479 78 Herne Bay Road Swalecliffe Whitstable CT5 2LX Swalecliffe Library Opening hours Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday 9am to 6pm Saturday 10am to 2pm Phone 01227 792645 57 Harbour Street Whitstable CT5 1AQ Whitstable Divisional Office Open Monday to Friday 8 45am to 4 45pm Phone 01227 771 918 31 33 Oxford Street Whitstable CT5 1DB Open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm Saturday 9am to 50m and Sunday 10am to 4pm Phone 01227 273309 Canterbury Housing Advice Centre Herne Bay Library Sturry Library Whitstable Library Page 10 KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE Dover District Council Boulevard Courriers Aylesham CT3 3DT Open Monday 9 00am to 12 30pm and 1 30pm to 4 30pm Wednesday 9 00am to 12 30pm Phone 01304 840100 Aylesham Community Centre Ackholt Road Aylesham CT3 3AJ Open Tuesday Thursday Friday 9 30am to 5 00pm Wednesday 9 30am to 1 00pm Saturday 10 00am to 2 00pm Phone 01304 841050 69 Castle Street Dover CT16 1PD Open Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday 9 00am to 5 00pm Wednesday 9 00am to 12 30pm Phone 01304 821199 Town Hall High Street Deal CT14 6BB Open Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday 9 00am to 12 30pm and 1 30pm to 4 30pm Wednesday 9 00am to 12 30pm Phone 01304 369582 3 Park Street Deal CT14 6AG Open Monday to Friday 9 00am to 5 00pm Saturday 9 00am to 12 00pm Phone 01304 372608 Broad Street Deal CT14 6ER Open Monday to Friday 9 00am to 6 00pm Satu
10. a deposit and usually one month s rent in advance Contact your local council for further advice to see if they offer any assistance with a deposit Mutual exchange Tenants of councils and housing associations may be able to swap their homes if they are secure or assured tenants This is called mutual exchange In mutual exchange two or more tenants exchange their homes and take on the terms of each other s tenancy If you are a tenant of a council or housing association please contact your landlord for further details KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE Page 21 HomeBuy options HomeBuy a government led initiative HomeBuy is a government funded initiative to provide low cost affordable homes for people to get their first foot on the property ladder If you are interested you should apply to Moat at www homebuy co uk or call Moat on 07002 662846 In its role as HomeBuy Agent in Essex Kent and Sussex Moat works with other housing associations and local authorities to allocate HomeBuy to people in housing need Moat s teams have many years of experience In providing low cost affordable homes They will put you in touch with independent mortgage advisors and solicitors who will help you through every step of the way Who is eligible for HomeBuy HomeBuy is designed to help people usually first time buyers who cannot afford to buy a property that Suits their household needs on the open market Soc
11. contacts page for demand for housing in the area In view of this details of how to obtain a full summary of the only those with the highest levels of housing lettings policy covering your area need are likely to be successful via the Kent Homechoice system Further information about alternative housing options is provided in the Housing options and Home Buy sections The general principles of each type of system are summarised below Bands Systems Every application is placed into a band including all homeseekers and transfers which helps to identify who most needs housing The band that you will be placed in will be decided by a number of factors listed in each local authority lettings policy Applicants with the highest housing need will be placed into the highest band Applicants with a lower housing need will be placed in the lower bands Within each band the length of time you have waited will be taken into account You can only improve your position with time and people who are assessed after you will not be placed above you within a band Points Schemes Every application including homeseekers and transfers will be awarded points which helps to identify who most needs housing Page 6 KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE i Contact Details Canterbury City Council www canterbury gov uk assets housing hnrinformationbooklet2007 pdf Contact Details Housing Options Team Canterbury City Council Military Ro
12. is payable on the equity loan This rises in line with inflation each year The home you choose to buy may be a second hand street property or a new build property The amount you purchase depends on how much you can afford to buy but starts from 50 of the property Ownhome is offered by Places for People in partnership with Cooperative Financial Services It offers shared equity loans of between 20 to 40 of the purchase price to be used in conjunction with mortgages from the Co operative Bank in the first Instance First Time Buyers Initiative This is offered by private developers on selected new homes developments You will need to buy a minimum of 50 of the property or more if you can afford to Resales When existing shared owners wish to sell their properties we offer these for sale to people who are on the HomeBuy register with Moat Social HomeBuy This scheme allows existing housing association or local authority tenants to buy a share in the home they currently live in on a shared ownership basis with an element of discount to assist the purchase In some cases it may help them to own their home outright The landlord of the rented property must have opted to take part in the scheme For Social HomeBuy please contact your own social landlord directly for more information and to find out if the Social HomeBuy option is available to you lt U e KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE Page 23 Gener
13. A Press 05 for Swale Press 05 for TBA Press 06 for Dover Press 06 for TBA 3 y Ih Thank you Please enter the number section of sea einige our reference number 4 You should HOMES ie the numerical part of Thank you Please enter the day number of your your Homechoice number only Once you have Bid aaa entered the correct number you will hear 2 You will hear You should now enter the day number of your date of birth Please remember to put the leading zero 0 in if it is a single number For Thank you Please enter the property reference example if your date of birth is 16 04 1970 number for your first bid type in 16 If your date of birth is 08 01 1958 type in 08 Once you have entered the correct number you will hear Enter the three digits of the property reference Thank you If you would like to add an number Once you have entered the correct additional bid press one or press two to number you will hear complete your bids Thank you Please enter the property reference If you have pressed one you will hear number for your second bid or press the star key to complete your bidding Enter the three digits of the second property Thank you If you would like to add an reference number Once you have entered the additional bid press one or press two to correct number you will hear complete your bids Thank you Please enter the property reference 9 If you have pressed one y
14. ECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE i Adverts This is an example of an advert one bedroom bungalow de EE G ref no 882 el Location Suffolk Road Spring Lane Features gas central heating double glazing Canterbury step up to front door lifeline private rear Landlord Canterbury City Council garden Close to row of local shops and Rent 70 84 regular mini link bus service into city centre Service charge 31 22 per week Central Canterbury is a little over a mile away Key to advert symbols Number of people the property is suitable for le 1 2 3 4 Floor level of property if flat or maisonette Pets allowed pets not allowed Number of bedrooms in the property so 554 bot Gsh Property designed for people this age or above B Mobility Level 1 Suitable for wheelchair user indoors and outdoors x2 Mobility Level 2 Suitable for people who cannot manage steps or stairs and may N use a wheelchair some of the day Mobility Level 3 Suitable for people only able to manage 1 or 2 steps or stairs Families Le Local Connection Village ut AT H T Homeseeker Transfer Transfer H Homeseeker KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE Page 19 Feedback Understanding the feedback reports In each of the Homechoice freesheets there will Location be a feedback report The feedback information Location of the property within Kent contains le
15. Saturday 9am 50m Phone 01843 577000 Minster Road Westgate Kent CT8 8BP Mondays 9am 5pm Tuesday 9am 6pm Wednesday 9am 50m Thursday Closed Friday 9am 6pm Saturdays 10am 2pm Phone 01843 831017 Biddi You can see the two weekly Kent Homechoice freesheet on line at www kenthomechoice org uk website as well as bid online Free internet access is available at most of the the locations in the property outlets section If you need help to find and use the website please ask at these locations Bidding via the website Action Example 1 To begin making your bids via the web go to www kenthomechoice org uk 2 You will need to Login to access the member pages so at the homepage you will need to find the Login button Click on the Login button located at the top right of the screen 3 h Il r A Application Area CANT At the Login page you will need to enter tne Homecho ca Number 009999 following information Date of Birth 16 Apr 1960 4 h b imedo Click on the Make a Bid link at the top of the At the Members page you will need to four options available Click the View Advert link on one of the entries 5 You will see a list of the properties that you in the list and the advert will open for you to look are able to make a bid on at There is also Bid link if you want to bid on the property from here You can click on the Bid link at the top of the 6 When the advert is open advert to
16. a Kent _ id Homechoice www kenthomechoice org uk Issue 02 October 2008 Canterbury Dover Sevenoaks Swale amp Thanet YOUR HOME YOUR CHOICE Contents PAGE 2 Equal and fair access to Kent Homechoice PAGE 3 Welcome to the Kent Homechoice user quide PAGE 4 5 How Kent Homechoice works PAGE 6 Assessing your housing need PAGE 7 8 Contact details PAGE 9 Housing association partners PAGE 10 14 Property list outlets PAGE 15 Bidding on the Internet PAGE 16 Bidding by telephone PAGE 17 Bidding by text message PAGE 18 Bidding by coupon PAGE 19 Adverts PAGE 20 Feedback PAGE 21 Your housing options PAGE 22 23 HomeBuy options BACK COVER General information We can make information available In large print On audio In different languages If you have any other requirements please contact the council for the area that you are registered in Look on the website www ashford gov uk www canterbury gov uk www dartford gov uk www dover gov uk www gravesham gov uk www kenthomechoice org uk www maidstone gov uk www sevenoaks gov uk www shepway gov uk www swale gov uk www thanet gov uk www tmbc gov uk www tunbridgewells gov uk The Scheme User Guide is a publication of Locata Housing POWERED BY Services Ltd Editorials photos and illustrations can only be published by permission of the publisher all rights reserved Publisher Lo
17. ad Canterbury CT1 1YW Phone 01227 862142 Email community services canterbury gov uk Office open from Monday to Friday 8 30am 5 00pm Telephone Monday to Friday 8 30am 5 00pm Dover District Council www dover gov uk housing gettingahome asp Contact Details Housing Needs Section Dover District Council White Cliffs Business Park Dover CT16 3PJ Phone 01304 872265 Telephone Mon Friday 9am 5pm Email housing dover gov uk Officers available at DDC your service Area Office 69 Castle Street Dover CT16 1PD Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday 9 00am 4 00pm Wednesday 9 00am 12 30pm And at Whitfield main office Wednesday 12 30pm 4 00pm Sevenoaks District Council Housing Management Function contracted out to West Kent Housing Association http www westkent org article asp id 93 amp realcat 286 Contact Details Housing Options Team West Kent Housing Association 101 London Road Sevenoaks Kent TN13 1AX Phone 01732 749433 01732 749000 Web www westkent org Email housing options wkha org uk Office open from Monday to Thursday 8 45am 5 15pm Friday 8 45am 4 45pm ii KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE Page 7 Contact details CONTINUED Swale Borough Council www swale gov uk media adobepdf 1 2F3 2FApplying_for_Housing_Booklet pdf Contact Details Housing Register Team Swale Borough Council Swale House East Street Sittingbourne Kent ME10
18. ages 10 and 14 You will be able to bid from 9 00am Monday to 12 noon the following Monday Your bids must reach us by Monday at 12 noon to be considered You can bid on the web trom the previous Friday The adverts give you information about each property available for letting and a photograph will be included if available Page 4 KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE You can only bid for properties in the area that you are registered in If you need more information about whether you are eligible please contact the Housing Options Team at your council If there are any changes to your household accommodation or personal circumstances you must contact the Housing Options Team at your council You may have to complete another form and provide us with evidence It is very important that we know any changes as it may alter your priority or the type of property you are eligible for ce works Step 3 Bidding Continued You can bid in 5 ways 1 On the internet Go to www kenthomechoice org uk and log on with your unique Kent Homechoice number and your date of birth Follow the instructions on screen 2 By telephone Call 0906 294 0020 and follow the instructions See page 12 about bidding by telephone Calls cost 25p minute Calls will normally take less than 1 minute 3 By coupon When you are first registered we will send blank coupons with your registration pack Your coupons have your name and Kent Homechoice nu
19. al information Bid deadline All bids for properties must reach the Locata offices by 12 00 noon Monday on the closing date shown on the front of the Kent Homechoice freesheet If you are using coupons make sure you allow enough time for the post to reach them Need help bidding You can ask a friend family member or support worker to bid on your behalf Please contact your local council if you need help bidding or advice about the process Bids can be made on the internet at www kenthomechoice org uk by telephone by coupon or in person at your council offices Subscribe to the Kent Homechoice freesheet There are several places you can pick up a copy of the Kent Homechoice freesheet for free explained in the property list outlets section If you would like to receive a copy of the Kent Homechoice freesheet every two weeks posted directly to you you can pay a subscription fee of 10 00 for six months Please make cheques or postal orders payable to Locata Housing services Ltd and send together with your Homechoice number and mailing address to Kent Homechoice PO Box 408 Ruislip The paper used to produce this freesheet is Wood Free which means it s made from off cuts scrap from the paper mills and a mixture of wheat rice cotton bananas and sugar cane Below is a link to tell you more about it if you are interested www rainforestinfo org au good_wood wfr_papr htm
20. cata Housing Services Ltd Editor Janette Boyle Welcome to the Kent Homechoice user guide Kent Homechoice is the new choice based lettings scheme for all Five steps to a new home council and housing association homes in Kent Kent Homechoice gives you more choice about where you want to live You will now have the chance to express an interest in vacant homes STEP 1 Membership that are suitable for you You are automatically a member of Kent Homechoice Every fortnight Kent Homechoice will advertise all empty council and if you are accepted onto the housing association homes that are available to let Properties will be housing register including advertised on the internet and through a freesheet transfer list STEP 2 Registration You can look at the adverts and bid for any homes you wish to be Once you have applied considered for This guide provides a summary of who can bid and and been accepted onto how to bid You will need to be registered for housing with the council the register you will be where the empty home is located registered on the Kent Homechoice scheme and Councils and housing associations in Kent Homechoice will generally given a unique Homechoice only let empty properties to people who have made an expression of number Interest through Kent Homechoice It also gives you a better idea of STEP 3 Bidding the properties available in your area In each edition you can see how You can see the available homes in
21. f more than one list the landlord will decide which property to offer you after contacting you and the other properties will be offered elsewhere If you receive an offer to view but you do not wish to or are unable to attend you must contact the landlord immediately Step 5 Feedback It is not possible to notify you individually when your bids have been unsuccessful but you can get this information from the website see bidding history after you have logged in or see the Kent Homechoice freesheet All properties that have been advertised will be listed on the feedback page of the freesheet once they have been let This tells you how many people bid for each property as well as the points band of the successful bidder ii KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE Page 5 Assessing your housing need Kent Homechoice s aim is to try and house The amount of points that you are given will be those In the greatest housing need Each Local decided by a number of factors listed in each Authority has its own housing lettings policy Council Lettings Policy Applicants with the which will cover lettings in their area greatest housing need will be given the highest m number of points All of the Councils in the scheme have a way j of prioritising those in the greatest housing All partners within the scheme have a limited need Some Councils use a bands system and amount of social housing compared to the some award points See the
22. ial tenants who wish to buy a property through HomeBuy are given top priority Key workers are also given priority We can also help people who have previously owned properties but are now unable to buy without assistance Tor example in the case of relationship breakdowns or families who are over crowded in their existing homes You must have an annual gross income of at least 18 000 joint or single income The maximum income allowed is 60 000 per annum single or joint We will ask you to demonstrate that you cannot afford to buy a property to suit your household needs You will need to have access to or savings of 3 500 to cover the initial costs of buying a home Page 22 KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE in How do I apply for HomeBuy Before you apply take some time to register on our website at www homebuy co uk Registration only takes a few minutes and once you ve registered you will be able to browse through details of properties that are available now or available soon If you wish to apply the quickest way is through www homebuy co uk The application process takes around 20 25 minutes Before you apply make sure you ve got access to all the necessary information about your income expenditure loans etc Once you ve submitted your application form you ll receive an email to confirm that we ve received it safely If you prefer we can send you an application form Call us on 07002 662846 We re open
23. mber printed on them This number is unique to you so no one else can use your coupons See page 14 about how to complete your coupons To request more coupons simply tick the box on the coupon when you send it back or contact your council and ask for more coupons They will be posted to you It will be at the risk of the bidder to get the coupon posted in good time to arrive before bidding closes 4 By text message 07781 472 726 see page 13 about bidding by text 5 In person at the council offices Gateway You can find the office contact details of the partnership In the contacts section of the scheme user guide Step 4 Offer At the end of the bidding period all bids for homes are put in priority order to produce a list of eligible applicants for each property The landlord of each property offers from the list after making further eligibility checks Following these checks if your name is still at the top of the priority list you will be invited to view the property If you refuse the next person who is eligible on the list will be offered the home You may not automatically be penalised for refusing properties you have chosen Your council will advise you if any action will be taken because you have refused a property Some landlords invite more than one applicant to view their properties at the same time although the property is always offered first to the applicant with the highest priority If you are top o
24. ou will hear number for your third bid or press the star key to complete your bidding 10 You can make another bid if you decide to delete one but your total number of bids can Thank you for bidding not exceed 3 If you made errors with your Homechoice number you may hear some of the instructions below 11 If you have made an error with your I m sorry the reference number you have Homechoice number you will hear entered is not recognised Please try again 12 Enter your Homechoice number again making sure that you are only entering the I m sorry the reference number you have number part of your reference number If entered is not found Please check with your you get your Homechoice number wrong a council or housing association and call again second time you will hear Page 16 KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE en Action Example 1 To begin making your bids 2 Enter in your Homechoice number via the keys ABC 12345 3 Then followed immediately by the hash mark ABC12345 4 You should now enter the advert reference number of your first bid followed ABC 12345 654 immediately by the hash mark If you have finished bidding then send If not keep following the instructions below 5 You should now enter the advert reference number of your second bid followed ABC 12345 654 91 immediately by the hash mark If you have finished bidding then send If not keep following the instructions bel
25. ow 6 You should now enter the advert reference number of your third bid followed ABC12345 654 791 555 immediately by the hash mark J When you have entered all your bids send or Bean derekt ok your text message bid 8 The number to send your bid to is 07781 472 726 Most mobile phone companies charge SMS text messages at around 10p per text To add numbers to the message keep pressing the keys until you get to the digit and select On most mobile phones to find the hash mark first press the star key then select the hash mark You can enter your bids in both upper and lower case Check your Homechoice number and bids are correct before sending Ordering more bid coupons by text message You can also order more coupons by sending a text message to the same text number but the message needs to be your Homechoice number immediately followed by the hash mark and then the word coupon ABC 12345 coupon KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE Page 17 Bidding CONTINUED Bidding by coupon Your coupon has your name and Homechoice Do the same for your second and third bid number printed on it please check that as shown these are correct Enter the date shown on the front of the You can bid for up to three properties for Homechoice freesheet from which you are each edition of the freesheet bidding Each property will have a three digit reference Please return your coupon by post The number shown in
26. place a bid or you can close the advert if you do not The property entry will move to your bids area above the property list You can click the View Advert link if you want to remind yourself of the advert J When the bid is placed You can repeat actions 5 6 and 7 until you have 8 To place more bids up to three in total placed all of your bids Now you can either log out or continue looking around the website There is a Delete bid link if you want to remove the advert from you bids area and return it to the properties list 9 If you want to change any of your bids placed in the bids area You will be able to add more bids to the bids area If you have deleted bids from your bid area you can add more bids up to 3 in total 10 If you have deleted a bid then you can enter more bids ii KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE Page 15 Bidding CONTINUED Bidding by telephone Calls cost 25p per minute from a landline and calls usually take less than one minute The cost of mobile calls varies according to the network you use Action Example 1 To begin making your bids dial 0906 294 0020 Welcome to the Homechoice property line Press 01 for Councils in Group One Press 02 for Councils in Group Two Councils in Group One Councils in Group Two Press 01 for Canterbury Press 01 for TBA Press 02 for Thanet Press 02 for TBA Press 03 for Ashford Press 03 for TBA Press 04 for Sevenoaks Press 04 for TB
27. rday 9 00am to 5 00pm Sunday 10 00am to 4 00pm Phone 01304 374726 White Cliffs Business Park Dover CT16 3PJ Dover District Council Main Office Open Monday to Friday 9 00am to 5 00pm Phone 01304 821199 Dover Discovery Centre Market Square Dover CT16 1PH Open Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday 9 00am to 6 00pm Wednesday 9 00am to 8 00pm Saturday 9 00am to 5 00pm Phone 01304 204241 The Guildhall Sandwich CT13 9AH Open Tuesday Thursday Friday 9 00am to 12 30pm and 1 30pm to 4 30pm Phone 01304 613305 13 Market Street Sandwich CT13 9DA Open Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday 9 00am to 6 00pm Saturday 10 00am 2 00pm Phone 01304 613819 Poulton Close Dover CT17 OHL Triangles Community Centre Open Monday to Friday 8 30am to 5 30pm Phone 01304 219745 Aylesham Area Office Aylesham Library DDC your service Area Office Deal Area Office Deal Centre for the Retired Deal Library Dover Library Sandwich Area Office Sandwich Library ii KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE Page 11 Where to get the Kent Homechoice freesheet or view on line CONTINUED Sevenoaks District Council Church Street Edenbridge Kent TN8 5BD Edenbridge Library Open Tuesday to Friday 9 00am 6 00pm amp Saturday 10 00am 2 00pm Phone 01732 862600 The High Street Penshurst Kent TN11 8BU Open Monday The Forge Garage Stores to Tuesday 6 30am 5 30pm Wednesday 6 30am 1 00pm amp Post Office Thursday to Friday 6
28. s for People 5 Invicta Business Centre Monument Way Orbital Business Park Ashford Kent TN24 OHB Phone 01233 500799 Rockdale Housing Association Rockdale Lodge Rockdale Road Sevenoaks Kent TN13 1JT Phone 01732 458762 www rockdale org uk Southern Housing Group Spire Court Albion Way Horsham West Sussex RH12 1JW Phone 08456 120021 service info shgroup org uk Anchor Housing Association London and South East Regional Office Milestone Place 100 Bolton Road Bradford Yorkshire BD1 4DH Phone 08457 758595 enquiries housing anchor org uk The Co operative Development Society Ltd CDS Marshalsea Road London SE1 1EP Phone 020 7397 5700 enquiries cds coop Hanover Housing Association Hanover Service Centre Nelson House Alington Road Eynesbury St Neots Cambridgeshire PE19 6RE Phone 01480 475069 hanoverservicecentre hanover org uk Housing 21 Leitrim House West Wing Little Preston Aylesford ME20 7NS Phone 0870 192 4000 Jewish Community HA Ltd Harmony Close Princes Park Avenue London NW11 OJJ Phone 020 8381 4901 lettings jcha org uk Orbit South Housing Association Foy House 27 29 High Street Margate CT9 1DL Phone to 0800 6781221 info orbit org uk Riverside South East English Churches Housing Group PO Box 344 The Quays Crown Quay Lane Sittingbourne Kent ME10 3JN Phone 0845 155 9011 Dartford admin riverside org uk Sanctuary Hereward South East Regional Office
29. the previous editions were let by turning to the feedback properties on the Kent page You can also view what level of priority the successful applicant Homechoice website or had and how long they waited for a new home in the two weekly Kent Homechoice property Everybody accepted onto a participating council s housing register can freesheet If you find a property that you would like you can express an interest in it as long as you are eligible This is known as take part and bid for homes in the council s area All homes that are advertised belong to either the council or a housing association Each advert will confirm who is the landlord of the empty property l l placing a bid Properties will be advertised on a two weekly basis You will be l able to see basic details about each property available There is TEP 4 Offers more information about the If your bid is top of the advertisements In the adverts section list you will be offered the property subject to eligibility checks and invited to view If the first applicant refuses the property it will be offered to the next suitable bidder P 5 Feedback In every edition of the two weekly Kent Homechoice freesheet and on the Kent Homechoice website we will publish the results of previous bidding cycles This will include how many people bid for each property the band or points the successful bidder was in and their relevant date We will provide feedback on
30. the property advert in the address is already printed on the front of Homechoice freesheet the coupon but you will need to put a For example if you want to apply for stamp on it properties with the reference numbers 654 791 and 555 you should mark the coupon Ordering more coupons as shown If you are running low on coupons there are For the first bid 654 in this example you three ways for you to order more should put an X in the first column against the relevant first digit of the number in the tick the box on the back of the bidding Bid 1 box 6 in this example coupon when you next bid You should put an X in the second column send a text SMS with your Homechoice against the relevant second digit of the number and the word coupon to the text number in the Bid 1 box 5 in this example bidding number 07781 472726 You should put an X in the third column log in to the bidding section to order more against the relevant third digit of the number coupons online in the Bid 1 box 4 in this example a Kent Homechoice Coupon eN Q N Q UW Enter freesheet date EEEN DID M M Y LY Tick this box if you need more coupons sent to you i T E L E E L XI E E L L OOO OO k OUOU L OOO OOO OLI OUD DU UD w UMOUOUOUUUOUO OUD UU L PDS OUDUOUDOPIL U UD w OOOO KOUL OO O O O k O O U L O WO WON OUJ A WN gt 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Page 18 KENT HOM
31. ttings that have taken place since the previous edition Bids l This is the total number of bids received for each Freesheet issue date property This is the publication date of the leaflet that the f advert appeared in Letting Information This will show the level of priority the successful Advert reference bidder has Combined with the leaflet issue date this gives a unique identity to any advert appearing in the leaflet Size and property type A simple description of the property advertised This is an example of a feedback report Thanet District Council 25 Feb 08 123 3 Bed House Ramsden Square 125 B 02 06 07 Homeseeker 25 Feb 08 124 2 Bed Flat Brimley Road 19 A 23 05 07 Transfer 25 Feb 08 125 1 Bed Flat bedsit Cockerell Road 78 B 25 05 07 Homeseeker Page 20 KENT HOMECHOICE SCHEME USER GUIDE i Your housing options Private rented accommodation Private rented accommodation can include lodgings renting your own flat or house or shared accommodation Living in private rented accommodation you will either be a tenant or a licensee Private renting offers you the freedom to find the type of home you require in the area that you wish to live You may be eligible for help with the rent payments through housing benefit Contact your local council for more details If you decide to go ahead you will need to get money together for
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search