The Affordable Housing Scheme
The Affordable Housing Scheme is part of a Government initiative designed to allow individuals and families better access to housing and help first time buyers get a foot on the housing ladder by providing low cost housing.
You do not have to be on the Council's Housing Register to have access to these properties.
Since 1 January 2004 we placed a requirement on all property developers to provide 25% of their brand new homes on sites where they are building 15 or more properties for affordable housing to meet housing need in the Borough.
Frequently asked questions
How does it work?
How do I apply?
Who can apply?
What happens next?
What properties are available?
Under the 'Shared/Home Ownership Scheme', what happens if I wish to sell the property?
Death of the qualifying person or qualifying household
How to contact us?
Links to more housing related information
There are three ways to gain access to affordable housing.
(1) Home ownership
You do not have to be on the Council's Housing Register for these properties.
Properties are offered for sale at discounted prices off the full market value. For example, a £100,000 house, with a 25% discount, will be offered to qualifying applicants on our waiting list for £75,000. This is not shared ownership and even though you have been given a discount, you own the whole property. However, there is a restriction in the lease, which means that when you want to sell the property, you must sell it on to the next person with the same level of discount.
(2) Rental
Properties may be bought or managed by Registered Social Landlords (Housing Associations) who will rent the properties at a lower rental cost than would be demanded by private landlords. When such a property becomes available the Council will nominate from the Council House Register the qualifying person or household with the most need.
(3) Shared ownership/shared equity
You do not have to be on the Council's Housing Register for these properties.
Allows you to buy a share of the new property and pay rent to the landlord/Housing Association on the remaining share. Additional shares can be purchased and you may own up to 100% of the property. Shared Equity allows you to buy a share of the new property and the landlord/Housing Association will retain the remaining share in perpetuity, therefore no rent is payable.
You simply complete an application form and we will notify you if you have been accepted onto the scheme (normally within ten working days). We will operate a waiting list of interested applicants.
Application form and guidance notes
You can download the application form (3 page 20kb pdf) and download the guidance notes (3 page 18kb pdf), print and fill in the form and return it to: Affordable Housing Officer, Town Hall, Knowsley Street, Bury BL9 0SW.
To request an application form and guidance notes please phone the Affordable Housing Officer on 0161 253 7652 or e-mail affordablehousing@bury.gov.uk or alternatively, collect an application form and details from your local library.
Applicants will be assessed on their suitability to the scheme.
You must:
- register on the Affordable Housing Register for the Home Ownership and Shared Ownership Schemes by completing the application form;
- have applied for re-housing and placed on the Council Housing Register for the rental Scheme only;
- been resident within the Borough (Prestwich, Whitefield, Radcliffe, Tottington, Ramsbottom or Bury) for six months or more;
- have no current or former tenant's arrears with the Council;
- have no history of anti-social behaviour with the Council; and intend to use the property as your own or main home
Please note: You do not have to be on the Council's Housing Register to apply for Home Ownership or Shared Ownership.
The assessment will also take into account your income, savings and the amount of mortgage your bank or building society will agree to lend you. As long as these amounts do not add up to the full market value of the property you wish to buy, you will be eligible. For example:
Property price at the full market value (before the discount) £100,000
Property price (after a 25% discount) £75,000
Household income: £20,000 – (Mortgage amount = £80,000 based on 4 x income)
Savings: £19,000
Total: £99,000
We must insist that you have an initial financial interview with Best Advice. They are Independent Financial Advisors who can provide specialist mortgage advice relating to Affordable Housing Schemes, which will help make the process run smoothly. You are not obliged to arrange your mortgage through them but they will be able to confirm your borrowing capability. Best Advice can be contacted on 0800 0182378 or, alternatively, you can visit their website at www.bestadvice.co.uk.
Bury Council is not an introducer representative for mortgage business. The interview is solely for the purpose of confirming eligibility for this scheme.
Download the guidance notes (3 page 18kb pdf) for full details of the qualifying criteria.
Your application will be assessed and you will be notified whether you are a qualifying person or qualifying household or not. Requests for a review of any decision should be sent to Housing Governance Strategy and Quality Manager, Ground Floor, Town Hall, Knowsley Street, Bury, BL9 0SW.
Go to the available properties page
Under the 'Shared/Home Ownership Scheme', what happens if I wish to sell the property?
Important: All properties built as affordable housing units will remain as such upon resale.
Where Affordable Housing Units are subsequently advertised for resale, the covenant requires the owner(s) to notify the Council.
The affordable housing unit will be advertised through appropriate media for a period of twelve weeks, at the market value less the level of discount obtained through the original sale. The property will then be offered to the qualifying person or qualifying household identified as having the most priority.
If the first qualifying person or qualifying household subsequently reject the affordable housing unit, this will then be offered to the second qualifying person or qualifying household.
If the second qualifying person or qualifying household reject the affordable housing unit, this will then be offered to the third qualifying person or qualifying household. If the third qualifying person or qualifying household reject the affordable housing unit, the existing owners will be entitled to sell the property at market value.
Important: Where owners are allowed to make sales on the open market at market value, they are required to pay the Council, the proportion of the sale corresponding to the level of original discount percentage.
In cases of negative equity, the owner of the Affordable Housing Unit will still be required to sell the Affordable Housing Unit at market value and pay the Council the proportion of the sale corresponding to the original discount percentage.
In cases of death of the qualifying person or qualifying household, the heirs will be allowed to continue to live in the dwelling, providing that this was their principal or main home at the time of the owner's death. They will be liable under any covenants existing for the original qualifying person or qualifying household.
In these cases, where the property is subsequently sold, the normal resale procedure outlined above will apply.
Where the Affordable Housing Unit is not the principal or main home of the heirs, the property will be sold under the terms of the procedures outlined above.
If you wish to speak to us about the scheme or for help making an application, please contact the Affordable Housing Officer as follows.
Write to: Affordable Housing Officer, Town Hall, Knowsley Street, Bury BL9 0SW
Phone: 0161 253 7652
E-mail: affordablehousing@bury.gov.uk
Our website
Plumlife have a number of alternative affordable housing options available to you. Go to the Plumlife web page
Housing Associations and co-operatives
Council initiatives
Land and premises
Other websites
Communities and Local Government's affordable housing web pages
Six Town Housing (Six Town Housing is an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) set up in April 2005 to manage Council homes on behalf of Bury Council)
Six Town Housing's Right to buy your council house web pages
Bury Metro Council - providing a choice of quality housing
