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It is a register of people wanting rented social housing in Havant. All Housing Associations with properties in Havant are partners in the Register. New tenants for the Housing Associations will be selected from the Housing Register. Havant Borough Council manages the Register. You now need to fill in just one application form to be considered for vacancies for all of housing owned by Housing Associations in Havant. The register is not published and we have a duty to protect applicants' personal information. We are committed to fair housing and aim to maintain equal treatment and not discriminate against someone because of their colour, race, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, gender and disability.

Who can go on the Register?

Anyone aged 16 years with a housing need.

Council and Housing Association tenants who live in Havant should register on the Portsmouth Housing Register Transfer Register. Please contact Housing Options, Portsmouth City Council, Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Telephone number 02392 834989 for an application form.

How do I get on the Havant Housing Register?

All you have to do is complete an application form by contacting, Housing Service, Civic Offices, Civic Centre Road, Havant, Telephone 02392 446564. If you need any help filling it in, we are more than happy to assist. Forms are also available from the Leigh Park Area Housing Office.

How does the Register work?

Applicants are placed into a Banding System with three bands, 1, 2, and 3. Applicants placed into band 1 have the highest priority, band 2 is for moderate priority, and band 3 for low priority. Priority is given to applicants with the greatest need of housing. Applicants are housed in date order, within their housing band. As Havant has a shortage of social housing, it is likely that applicants will have an extensive wait.

What happens once I go on the Havant Housing Register?

Firstly, we will acknowledge that your form has been received.

We will then enter your details on the Register and place you in a housing band. If your circumstances change in the future, please let us know so that we can re-assess your housing band again. This is why it is very important to answer all the questions and complete your form fully.

We may need to visit you at home before any offer of accommodation can be made. This can take some time to arrange. Remember to ask the person visiting you for identification before letting them in. The main reason for the visit is to check that the details you have the correct banding group and to let you know your chances of being rehoused. If we are able to approve you for rehousing, you will get a letter confirming that we do regard you as being in need of more suitable housing.

Changes in circumstances

It is important that you notify Havant Borough Council of any changes in your circumstances. This could be for example, if you move, change your contact telephone numbers,if you have a baby or after a relationship break down. The banding process will be assessed on the basis of the accommodation that you occupy. So if you move to new accommodation your application will be reassessed. You will not lose the date of registration. It is your responsibility to notify Havant Borough Council of changes so that your application can be kept up to date

What are my chances of getting an offer from the Havant Housing Register?

This is a very difficult question to answer as all cases are treated individually, It depends on your banding, the size of your household, where you want to live. We will aim to give you an idea of the demand for accommodation when we contact you, but as a general rule, older people and families with one child face a shorter wait for rehousing than larger families, single people and couples.

How Long will I have to wait?

Waiting times do vary depending on the type of property needed, and the availability of this type of accommodation. The demand for housing in the borough of Havant is high, and demand is far greater than the supply of housing. As an average most applicants can wait anything between six and ten years for an offer of a permanent assured tenancy with a local housing association.

What areas can I choose?

Your chances of being housed sooner will depend on the area, and type of property you are prepared to live in. Generally speaking, the more areas you select, the quicker the wait may be for you. Areas covered within the Havant Borough are: -

Central Havant
Denvilles
Bedhampton
Leigh Park
West Leigh
Warren Park
Cowplain
Crookhorn
Purbrook
Wecock Farm
Stakes & Woodsedge
Emsworth
Hayling Island

You can select areas on the application form.

What type of property will I be offered?

Below is a list of the different types of property you will generally be offered.

Bedsit

Suitable for a single person

One bedroom flat

Suitable for a single couple

Two bedroom house / flat / maisonette

Suitable for a single parent with a child

Or a couple with one child

Three-bedroom house

Suitable for a single parent / couple and two children

Or single parent / couple and two children or three children

Four-bedroom house

Suitable for a single parent / couple and three children or larger

What happens once you are made an offer?

You will be contacted by the Allocations Officer . Your details will be passed on to a Housing Association. This accommodation will be considered suitable for your needs and will be in your chosen area. Further contact will be made by the Housing Association to arrange a home visit.

Who will be your landlord?

The offer of accommodation by the Havant Borough Register may be from any of the Housing Association landlords with which the Council has nomination rights.

Applicants who have some connection with Leigh Park or Wecock Farm through previous residence or family connection may be put forward for a nomination to Portsmouth City Council vacancies in Havant. This is known as the Second Generation Scheme and once nominated under the Scheme your case is dealt with by the Housing Options Team, at Portsmouth City Council.

Can you ask for a review?

Should you decide not to accept reasonable offers of accommodation made by the Council. You have the right to appeal against any decision. This must be in writing and within 21 days. A Senior Officer, not involved with the offer, will review it and decide whether or not it is suitable.

You will be told in writing of the result of the review.

The following are valid grounds for appeal:

That you have been offered accommodation of the wrong size for your household's needs.
That the property's condition makes it unsuitable
That it is not in your chosen area
That it is unacceptable on health grounds (of which you have already made us aware)

What are Housing Associations?

Housing Associations are organisations that provide housing for rent or shared ownership for people in need. A Management Committee of unpaid volunteers (often including some tenants) who are responsible for the Association and its policies runs them. Most Housing Associations are registered with a Government body called the Housing Corporation and are checked regularly to make sure they are spending their grants correctly and providing the right sort of services to tenants.

New Housing Association tenants are sometimes given introductory tenancies to begin with. You will be given a probationary period that you will need to demonstrate that you can hold down a tenancy. For an example, no reports of anti social behaviour. Their rents are set to meet running costs, but must be within reach of people on low incomes. Assistance with the rent for those on a low income is provided by Housing Benefit, payable through the Council. Tenants will be required to sign a tenancy agreement with the relevant Housing Association before moving in to a property.

Owner occupiers

Owner-occupiers cannot generally be placed on the Register. Owner occupiers can register if:-

Facing repossession or other serious financial difficulties that mean that you are likely to lose your home.
If your is home seriously inadequate because of disrepair
If your household has someone with disabilities and the home can not be suitably adapted.
Owner occupiers applying for sheltered accommodation
Owner occupiers who have a high degree of housing need

What about people with health or social welfare problems?

You may need to fill in a Health, Care and Assessment Form, which you can get from Havant Borough Council. You then send the form to us and we assess the application based on the information provided by you. We may in some circumstances need to contact your Doctor, Consultant on your behalf

What is Sheltered/Supported Housing?

Sheltered housing is specially designed accommodation available to rent for people of pensionable age, or people with disabilities requiring an additional level of support.

Sheltered housing can offer you a range of services to help you live independently with the added security of having someone to call on in emergencies.

What can Sheltered Housing offer?

A Scheme Manager
A chance to meet new friends
A friendly and caring environment
An assured tenancy
A floating support service
Choice to furnish and decorate your own flat to your own taste

Sheltered accommodation is different from other social housing because in many schemes a scheme manager or warden will usually be on site during working hours (Mon – Fri). Scheme Managers can also be contacted out of hours, or in an emergency through an alarm system. Sheltered schemes are not residential care homes, and scheme managers or wardens do not provide care services for tenants or carry out tasks like shopping or cleaning. If you need support you can still apply to social services (for example, having meals delivered to your home if you have problems cooking) or a floating support service can be provided to help with claiming benefits and managing money.

All sheltered accommodation has a 24-hour controlled alarm system, however some sheltered schemes do not have a scheme manager or warden on site. However, tenants have the option to a weekly visit from a duty scheme manager. In addition to this not all sheltered schemes will have communal facilities such as a laundry room, communal lounge, kitchen or pay phone.

Within the Borough of Havant the following housing associations provide sheltered housing schemes:

Abbeyfield
Downland Housing Association
English Churches Housing Group (ECHG)
Hermitage Housing Association
Housing 21
James Butcher Housing Association (Southern Housing Group)

Guests at Sheltered Schemes

Some sheltered schemes will offer guest room accommodation to relatives and friends of sheltered housing tenants. There is a small charge for this service at schemes where applicable.

Pets at Sheltered Schemes

Most sheltered schemes do not allow pets.

Other than small caged or tanked pets such as birds or fish, pets are only allowed by prior written permission at the discretion of the housing association that operates the scheme. The usual rule applied to this would be if the front door to the accommodation opens onto a shared corridor or staircase, permission will not be granted for tenants to keep a dog or a cat. If you do keep a pet it is your responsibility and you must make arrangements to have it adequately cared for if you go away or become ill. Scheme managers or wardens will not look after your pet for you.

Television at Sheltered Schemes

You may also be eligible for a concessionary TV licence.

What will happen once I have applied for Sheltered Housing?

Once your application has been assessed and registered you will be sent a letter explaining which housing band you have been placed in, confirmation of your areas of choice, and your date of registration. This letter will give you a registration number and is proof that your application has been entered on the Havant Housing Register. There is usually a waiting list and places will be offered on availability and level of need. Generally, applicants who have been waiting the longest are considered first for a home.

The assessment will be based on your housing needs. Factors such as medical conditions can be taken into consideration. Applicants who wish for these needs in relation to their housing application to be considered will need to complete a health, care and support form. These forms are available on request.

How to apply for Sheltered Housing

You need to complete both the forms below, and on the Sheltered Housing form place a tick next to the names of the sheltered schemes you wish to be considered for.

If this information is difficult to read we can provide it in another format, for example in braille, large print, on audio tape or in another language. To request any of these formats please contact customer.services@havant.gov.uk

Remember, The Havant Housing Register form needs to be completed in addition to the Sheltered Housing Application Form, giving details of your name, address and date of birth.

To contact us

You can contact us on 023 9244 6507 to request an application form or Click Here to download a Printable Housing Register Form >>

You can also contact us on 023 9244 6507 to request a Sheltered Housing application form or Click Here to download a printable PDF Sheltered Housing Application Form to email, post, or return by hand at The Civic Offices, Havant, Hampshire PO9 2AX >>

For further information about Shared Ownership or other Homebuy schemes

Contact Swaything Housing Society on 023 8062 8000 or visit Homes in Hants Website here >>

For more detailed advice about housing options available, contact Iris Gunton, Housing Allocations Officer 023 9244 6661.