Who can apply for a social housing
Qualification Criteria
To join the Housing Register, you will usually need to meet the following:
Housing Need
- You will normally only be accepted if you have a recognised housing need.
- If you do not have a housing need, you can still apply but will be placed in a lower priority band.
Local Connection
You will usually need a connection to the Great Yarmouth area. This could be because you:
- Have lived here for at least 3 years, or
- Have close family who have lived here for at least 5 years, or
- Work in the borough (at least 20 hours per week for 1 year or more)
Some people do not need a local connection, including:
- Members of the Armed Forces and their families
- People fleeing domestic abuse or violence
- Certain care leavers (aged 16-24)
- Existing social housing tenants who need to move for work or hardship
If you do not have a local connection, you may still be able to join but at a lower priority.
Behaviour
You may not qualify if you or someone in your household has serious unacceptable behaviour, such as:
- Rent arrears or breaking tenancy conditions
- Anti-social or violent behaviour
- Causing nuisance or harassment
- Damaging a property
- Fraud or misuse of housing
Each case is considered individually.
Financial Situation
You will not qualify from to join the Housing Register if you own a property in the United Kingdom or overseas.
If your household income (including benefits and interest) or your savings and assets (including property equity) are above these limits, you will usually not be considered to have a housing need and will not qualify to join the Housing Register. To qualify, your income and savings must normally be below the levels shown below:
| Dwelling size need | Annual gross income cap | Savings and assets cap |
|---|---|---|
| One-bedroom | £26,000 | £16,000 |
| Two-bedroom | £32,000 | £16,000 |
| Three-bedroom | £40,000 | £16,000 |
| Four-bedroom and above | £50,000 | £16,000 |
Housing Register Eligibility
Applicants ineligible under Government regulations will not be eligible to be accepted onto the Housing Register. Eligibility is a question of immigration status. The rules regarding eligibility are complex and subject to regular changes in immigration law. Applicants who are not British citizens can request further information from the Council before making an application.
Any applicant who has been excluded from the Housing Register on the grounds of ineligibility will be given written notice of the decision and the reasons for it and advised of their right of appeal.
For full details, please refer to the Council's Housing Allocations Policy: Housing allocations policy and scheme
