Offcanvas Sidebar MOVING HOME If you want to move to another home, there are a number of schemes to consider. However council homes in Islington are in high demand and there aren’t enough for everyone who wants one. There are thousands of people on the housing register, many of whom are in temporary accommodation. Moving within Islington Islington Council allocates all its own and some housing association properties in Islington through the Choice Based Lettings Scheme. If you want to move to another council or housing association property, you need to make a transfer application online at www.islington.gov.uk. Islington Council’s Housing Options Team – not Partners - will: Assess the application and award you transfer points based on your circumstances. Tell you whether your points make you eligible to ‘bid’ for a property ◦Give you a user ID number and a PIN, if you have enough points to bid. Properties which are available to let are advertised on the Home Connections website. If you are interested in any of the available properties, you must bid for them. You can bid online by visiting Islington Council’s Home Connections website, by a 24 hour automated telephone service, or by SMS text. Islington Council also has a Home Connections Bidding App. You can bid for up to three properties each week. When a deadline to bid closes Islington Council; Draws up a shortlist of applicants with the highest number of housing points for each property Contacts each of them and invites them to view the property Following the viewing offers the property to the person with the most points who has advised they want to be considered for i If you are in rent arrears, you won’t generally be eligible for a transfer. You must clear any rent arrears in order to be eligible to bid. You can get more information by visiting Islington Council’s website at www.islington.gov.uk or by calling the Housing Options Team. Moving to a smaller home (through the under-occupancy scheme) If you are living in a home with more bedrooms than you need, you may want to move to a smaller property. Islington Council offer a grant for each spare room that is given up, and assistance with removal expenses. For more information go to Islington Council’s website www.islington.gov.uk or contact the Housing Options Team. New Generation Scheme If you want to move because you are overcrowded, and you have someone who is over 18 living with you who would like a home of their own, the New Generation Scheme may be an option. You can get more information on this scheme from Islington Council’s Rehousing team. See Other contacts for details. Swapping your home (through the mutual exchange scheme) Mutual exchange is a way for council or housing-association tenants to swap their properties for a more suitable home anywhere in the UK. The mutual exchange scheme is an advisable alternative to the Choice Based Lettings points systems for rehousing. You may have more success in moving home by finding another tenant who would like to swap homes with you. To help tenants find mutual exchanges Islington subscribe to www.homeswapper.co.uk which is a search site and is free to Islington Council tenants including Partners managed tenants. When you find someone to exchange with, you must submit a mutual exchange application to Islington Council. They will consider your application and make a decision on whether or not the exchange can go ahead within 42 days. It is illegal to offer or accept money as an incentive to carry out a mutual exchange. For more information please go to Islington Council’s website www.islington.gov.uk or contact the Housing Options Team. See ‘Other contacts’ for details. Sheltered housing schemes Sheltered housing is specially designed for older people, usually aged 55 or over. In sheltered schemes, tenants can live independently, but some support is available if needed. For more information go to Islington Council’s website at www.islington.gov.uk or please contact the Housing Options Team. See ‘Other contacts’ for details. Moving outside Islington Moving into council or housing association property in another area is often difficult. If you want to move to another area, contact the local council for that area. Generally, councils in the Greater London area are unlikely to be able to find you family-sized housing. You can get information about other housing mobility schemes from Islington Council’s website at www.islington.gov.uk or by calling their Housing Options Team. See ‘Other contacts’ for details ©Copyright 2021. Partners For Improvement in Islington. All rights reserved.