Home Buying Advice

Affordable Housing

Affordable housing is a general term to housing that is offered through favourable schemes to make it affordable. It is generally considered that affordable housing is primarily targeted at key workers and in rural areas.

The Government believes everyone should have the chance to own a decent home, which they can afford, within a sustainable mixed community. Provision of affordable housing should meet the needs of the whole community, including those whose needs are not met by the housing market, and should include a good balance of housing types and tenures.

Affordable housing schemes include social rented housing and intermediate housing provided for households whose needs are not met by the housing market.

The Government also supports some households (e.g. key workers, social tenants) in their aspirations to buy a home through providing shared equity homes. Affordable homes are provided at sub-market prices, and restricted to specified types of household. The Housing Corporation provides social housing grant to registered social landlords and other bodies to provide additional affordable homes.

The Government's affordable housing policies have lead to its HomeBuy schemes, the first time buyer initiative and the English Partnerships programme.

To find out if there is an affordable housing scheme in your area that you can apply for, contact your HomeBuy agent.
 
Other useful Home Buying Guides:
 
Property for Sale  Home Information Packs  Finding a Property Co-Buyer  Low Cost Home Ownership  Repossessed Property   Property Auctions  Getting a Mortgage if you have Debts   Inheritance Tax Planning  Investing in Rental Properties  Stamp Duty    Gifted Deposit    

• Find out more about New Build HomeBuy Shared Ownership schemes
• Look into Open Market HomeBuy shared equity schemes
• Find out a bit more about Social HomeBuy in our Low Cost Home Ownership section
• The First time Buyer Initiative and English Partnerships
• Key worker homes
• Request advice about your first mortgage
• Search for a property for sale