FAQs

FAQ's

1. What are housing associations?

2. How do I get a house with a housing association

3. How do housing associations set their rents?

4. What is Wider Role?

5. What is Browsealoud?

What are housing associations?

Housing Associations are social landlords who build and rent houses for rent to people in housing need. Many are registered charities and all are run by voluntary Management Committeess, many of whom are tenants of the housing association. Housing Associations or Registered Social Landlords (RSL’s) are registered with Communities Scotland who oversee the work of all housing associations in Scotland.
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How do I get a house with a housing association

Each housing association operates a waiting list. Contact the association of your choice and request a housing application form or use the document pages of this website to download an application. Each housing association has a different application form to fill in. Your form is assessed by the housing association using their ’Allocations Policy’. This gives you points based on how severe your housing need is. The more points you accummulate, the more likely you are to be at the top of the list. Associations also offer housing to applicants on local authority waiting lists. This is called a Nominations Agreement. So make sure that you are on both the housing association and local authority waiting list to improve your chances of getting a house.
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How do housing associations set their rents?

Housing association rents are set with three different issues in mind:

affordability - making sure that tenants on low incomes, but not on housing benefit can afford to pay our rents.
viability - that is ensuring their is enough money brought in by the rents to run the association and do repairs etc.
comparability: looking at what other social landlords in the area charge.

We then have to look at whether a house is a newly built house, an older property, a house which has been improved, for example with a new kitchen.

The number of rooms a property has also increases the rent.

Look at Paying your Rent for each housing association for further information.

What is Wider Role?

All housing associations in Scotland are now required to do more than provide houses. We work with the local communities where we have properties to try to improve their lives, their environment or help them learn new skills or gain employment - whether or not they are tenants.

This can mean helping set up tenants groups or community action groups. It might mean helping bring in funding for a community project, such as an arts project or a youth project. Other help can be to provide staff time to work with local groups or providing buildings from which to run projects.

If you have a project that you think a housing association can help you with, use the contacts page on the website to get in touch.

What is Browsealoud?

Browsealoud is a piece of software that we provide free to download. It will help people who have partial sight, dislexia and who's first language is not Engilish. The software will "talk" the text of the website to you. It is easy to download and follow.

How To Join.....

If you would like to join the SHCC please contact Liz Bowden at admin@dunbritton.org.uk.

If you would like to contact any of the associations please find their contact details listed within the microsites.