Applying to a housing association
All housing associations should have information available about how you can apply to them, as well as who can and cannot get housing from them. This can be obtained from their main office or website. Some may only offer homes to certain types of people, such as women, young people, students, or people with disabilities. Some are set up by black or ethnic minority groups to provide homes for their communities. You can get lists of local housing associations from the Housing Corporation.
Most associations who have vacancies run a register or waiting list for them, for which you will have to fill in a form explaining why you need housing and what sort of housing you need. Once the form is filled in, the association may ask for proof of identity for all the household, income, benefits eligibility where relevant, and previous housing history. Some associations do home visits to check on these and to discuss the application.
Many associations have joint housing registers with local councils in their area. Even people who are not eligible for council housing should be able to go on to these registers, to be considered for vacancies from housing associations.
In some areas of high housing demand (like London), housing associations may have an agreement with the local council that all vacant homes will be filled by people nominated or referred by the council. Consequently, they will have no waiting list.
Associations may also run special schemes for low cost home ownership and for key workers in the area. You can find out more about these from the Housing Corporation.
Housing associations must offer homes to people in need, and cannot refuse to accept applications from people because of their immigration status, although they can refuse to accept applications from people who cannot pay rent (such as those who cannot get benefits and are not working). Further information on what to do if an association refuses to accept an application because of your immigration status.