Homeselect is pleased to announce that from early 2008, Waveney District Council will be joining the ‘Homeselect Lettings Partnership’.

The inclusion of Waveney District Council will provide opportunities for the development and introduction of beneficial new features, which will help applicants to make informed choices when considering their housing options.  Additional features will include the launch of a new website and an interactive telephone option.

The new website will offer similar facilities currently provided on our existing site including: the ability to bid on line, the downloading of application forms and viewing of feedback for previously let properties.  It will also advertise shared ownership properties, key worker properties and eventually private rented properties, as well as properties for re-let.  Tenants of a ‘housing association’ or ‘local authority’ will be able to access ‘House Exchange’ – the mutual exchange web based scheme.

The merger will also see the introduction of a new ‘interactive telephone option’, which will offer advise in respect to your position on the list at the time the bid is placed.  This will enable people to make a choice on whether to bid for a property or to remove their bid and apply for another one.  It will also advise you when you try to bid for a property for which you are not eligible or when you have made a maximum of two bids.  

Both the website and telephone will be available in English, Portuguese, Polish and Lithuanian.

How will this affect the current Homeselect Scheme?

The scheme will generally remain the same. Applications will continue to be banded according to housing need and awarded one of three bands: gold, silver or bronze.  Applicants will also be advised what location of property this priority allows them to apply for.  For example:

• Residents or applicants who have a local connection to the Borough of Great Yarmouth will be advised that they can apply for properties which are advertised ‘Great Yarmouth applicants’

• Residents or applicants who have a local connection to Waveney District Council will be advised that they can apply for properties which are advertised ‘Waveney applicants’

Again, when vacant properties are advertised in the Advertiser Newspaper, on our website http://www.homeselect.org.uk/ or via our property hotline (01493 846140), we will clearly state who can apply for these properties.

Do I need to do anything?

Existing applicants who are registered with Homeselect do not need to do anything.  We will write to you in January 2008 to advise you of the changes to the scheme.

For further information contact Bridget Southey Homeselect Team Manager on 01493 846281.