Apply for social housing
The demand for council housing far outweighs supply. Many of those who qualify for inclusion on the housing register are not offered social housing.
In almost all cases you will find alternative accommodation much quicker by renting from a private landlord. If you are on a low income you may be able to get help with rent payments by claiming Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.
Before applying for social housing please consider if the circumstances below apply.
To be considered for inclusion on the housing register, you must:
- be over 16
- have an immigration status that makes you eligible to be considered for social housing
- have one following housing needs:
- lack bedrooms in your current property (where 2 same sex children are expected to share a room, and opposite sex children can share a room until the age of 10)
- have a medical/welfare condition that is being impacted by your current living arrangements, where your need cannot be resolved in your existing home i.e. through aids and adaptations
- be fleeing violence/harassment/abuse
- be homeless, or at risk of homelessness in the next 56 days
- your property remains in a poor state of repair despite notifying your landlord, giving them reasonable access to the property, and opportunity to rectify
- be ready/almost ready to leave care or supported housing
- your rent costs over a third of your household income
- you are a former care leaver under the age of 25, to whom the Council has acted as the Corporate Parent
- you are a Better Queensway Resident, where you do not want to remain on the regenerated scheme, and have been issued with a letter to advise that you will need to move within the next 18 months
- you have spare rooms in a social rented property and want to downsize to a home that meets your needs
- you are willing to give up an adapted property you no longer require
- not have excessive rent arrears, property related debt, or persistent anti-social behaviour
- not have income, savings or assets that would enable you to resolve your own needs
If you meet the above criteria, you may want to apply to join our housing register. You can make an application by clicking on the Register tab on the top right hand corner of our Southend On the Move website. After registering, you will then be prompted to complete an application form for social housing.
If you are unable to access a computer with internet access, you can contact Peadbody, our partner organisation on, 01702 445870. Peabody will ensure you are provided with support to complete your application.
If you are having difficulties completing an application, you can also contact The HUB to arrange an appointment whereby a volunteer can assist you further.
The HUB is a walk-in community advice centre hosting a variety of partner organisations especially to assist those facing financial and personal hardship. The HUB is located in a shop unit at 324/5 Chartwell Square, Victoria Shopping Centre, Southend On Sea, Essex, SS2 5SP Tel: 01702 611199 Web: hubadmin@sech-uk.com and is currently open from Mon-Fri 10:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 15:00.
Update on housing register application processing times
We are committed to processing applications as efficiently as possible.
Our current processing time for new applications is 15 working days. This starts once all supporting documents have been received.
We currently process application reviews within 8 weeks of the request, following our Allocation Policy.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to assist all applicants in a timely manner. If you have any questions or need further support, please contact our housing team.