How to apply for social housing and Sussex Homemove scheme

What is the Sussex Homemove Scheme?

Sussex Homemove, which is also known as the Housing Register, is the choice based lettings scheme that Hastings Borough Council uses to advertise social housing properties available in Hastings. The scheme covers all the available housing association properties including sheltered housing. As the demand for social housing is greater than what is available there is a waiting list.

You have to be eligible and then apply to be on the Sussex Homemove Scheme. Applicants are assessed and if accepted are placed into one of four bands (A to D, with A being the highest priority) according to their housing need. This banding is based on the criteria in the Hastings Homemove Allocations Scheme 2018.

Once you are on the scheme you have the choice to 'bid' for the properties you like. All available properties are advertised every two weeks, with photos and a full description on the Sussex Homemove website.

Properties are offered to those with the highest housing need.

For further information:

• Homemove Allocation Scheme 2018 (.pdf 424KB)
• Allocation Scheme Glossary of Terms (.pdf 50KB)

How do I apply?

You will need to complete an online pre-assessment to see if you are eligible for social housing. 

If you are eligible you will then need to complete an online application form. At the end of the online application form you will also be asked to upload your supporting documents. Your application will be assessed once we have received all your supporting documents. This will take up to four weeks.

We will let you know if your application has been accepted. If you are accepted you will be put into a priority banding according to our Homemove allocation scheme and then you can bid for properties on Sussex Homemove.

Apply here.

You will have to submit documents at the end of the online application form for all members of your household:

• Formal identification documents such as birth certificates or passports
• Proof of address history for the last 5 years or 10 years if needed
• Proof of income
• National Insurance numbers
• Dates of birth / pregnancy due date 
• For any medical conditions evidence from a medical professional detailing the nature of a diagnosed medical condition AND evidence that this makes your current housing unsuitable.

Who is eligible for social housing and to join the Sussex Homemove Scheme?

To be eligible you will need to:

• be at least 16 years old
• have lived in Hastings or St Leonards for at least 3 out of the last 5 years or 5 out of the last 10 years 
• have an identified housing need.

Or 

• Be seeking housing for older persons or sheltered accommodation and have lived in Hastings or St Leonards for 3 out of the last 5 years or 5 out of the last 10 years.

Who may not be eligible?: 

• anyone under the age of 16
• households subject to immigration control who are ineligible for assistance
• other persons from abroad who are ineligible for assistance
• households living outside the UK 
• households currently in prison
• households with significant rent arrears still outstanding to any former landlord
• households considered by the local authority to have caused anti-social behaviour
• households considered to have sufficient financial resources in order to meet their own housing needs
• those without a local residency connection (with limited exceptions)
• any household seeking general needs accommodation not considered to have a housing need
• households giving false or misleading information or withholding information that has been reasonably requested.

For further information see our Homemove Allocation Scheme 2018.

How do I bid for properties?

If you are accepted onto Sussex Homemove Scheme, you will receive an email confirming your Homemove reference number and your banding, which you will need to bid on available properties. 

Properties are advertised every two weeks on www.sussexhomemove.org.uk/choice/. Or you can set up a 'property alert' through your Sussex Homemove account to send you alerts for any suitable properties which you can then bid on.

You can make bids on this website. You can make up to three bids at a time and although it's called 'bidding', no money changes hands - you're just letting us know you're interested in the property.

How do I choose which property to bid for?

The adverts on Sussex Homemove will tell you about the size, type and location of the property, usually with a photo of a similar property type.
You need to carefully read the whole advert to check that the property is suitable for your needs.

Please ensure you look at the symbols to make sure that it is a property that you are able to bid on. Some properties are only available to certain types of households, e.g. transfer tenants. An explanation of the symbols is available at https://www.sussexhomemove.org.uk/choice/content.aspx?pageid=73.

Will I be more successful if I bid early?

No, your bid is worth the same whether you bid on the first day or the last day.

How long will I have to wait for an allocation?

The waiting time for social housing depends on the type and availability of property. You can view the current waiting times for Social Housing. 

We cannot tell you exactly how long it will take as the waiting times for properties are always changing. 

How will I know if I am successful with my bidding?

If you bid and are successful for a property, you will be contacted by the Registered Provider to complete their assessment forms and then offered a viewing of the property.

It can take several weeks after the bidding has closed before the Registered Provider will be in a position to contact you about a property.

Where can I get help?

If you need help to complete the online pre-assessment:

• You can find more information: https://www.sussexhomemove.org.uk/choice/.

• We have also created FAQs which will answer the questions that are frequently asked.