Housing

Social housing is a great choice. The rent is much cheaper than private rent. This is very important because the cost of living is very high.

As a care leaver, you are at the front of the queue for the City of London Social Housing. As a single person you are eligible for a studio property. This may be one large room which includes a kitchen space, some studio properties have a separate kitchen.

Lots of people want social housing because it is affordable, and many thousands of people are waiting because there are not enough properties. The cost of rent in central London is extremely high, and most people cannot afford to live here. You are at the front of the queue (along with people who are homeless, and people escaping from violence in the home).

There are not enough properties so you might wait 2-4 years before one becomes available.

You are responsible for your rent once you are 18 or over. This may be paid via Universal Credit if you are in college, or from your earnings if you are in work.

An example rent of a studio flat in London is between £1,500 and £2,000 a month

An example rent of a studio flat in social housing is £500 a month

When your social worker completes the housing application with you, choose your preferred three housing areas. Put your favourite first, then the one you like second best and then the one you like third.

You have a choice of:

• Holloway Estate and York Way in the London Borough of Islington
• Golden Lane and Middlesex Street (in the City of London - the Square Mile)
• Avondale Square in the London Borough of Southwark

A council tenancy has the lowest rent in the UK. It is much cheaper for you than private renting.

A council tenancy is the best sort of tenancy you can get it means you have stronger rights within the property good for staying for a long time, so long as you are paying rent. As long as you pay the rent and follow the tenancy conditions you can stay there for as long as you need. You are less likely to be asked to leave.

Most people never get a council tenancy. Even if it is small and in an area of Central London you have not chosen, it is a good option.

For the first year you are in your tenancy with the City of London you are on an introductory tenancy. After 12 months, if you have paid your rent and kept to the tenancy agreement you will become a secure tenant. Once you are in a secure tenancy you can swap your home if you want to move area or find a bigger home. This can take a long time because lots of people want bigger homes. As a secure tenant you can apply to buy your property through the Right to Buy scheme if you have enough money to do so.

If you get a partner or start a family and your flat becomes too small, if you are a ‘secure tenant’ you will be eligible to apply for a larger one within the City of London.

Once you are a secure tenant you can apply to do a mutual exchange which enables them to swap with a social housing tenant – both Local Authority and Housing association – anywhere in the UK. The Housing Needs Team can provide full details of how this works once you are a secure tenant

To be eligible for social housing you need a local connection to the area where that housing is situated. You have a local connection to the City because you are a care leaver under City of London Children’s Services. In some instances you may be able to apply to another local authority.

• You have a local connection if you're under 21 and were previously in care in the area for at least 2 years even if you were placed there by another council.
• You also have a local connection if you're under 25 and you get advice and support from the council's social services team under a pathway plan.
• If your pathway plan is provided by a county council, you have a local connection to every local housing department in the county council area.

Things we will not provide:

• One-bedroom flats or bigger

These flats are reserved for people with children over the age of 6 months  

If you want to rent privately then we can help you with a deposit. We can be your guarantor so that you can rent.

This can be a good option if you want to move with friends, or if you want to move to a different location in the UK which is more affordable than London.

Your social worker will:

• ensure you are supported to find a home that you can afford (check you can afford the rent on your wages from your job, or that that rent will be covered by Universal Credit)
• seek approval for the deposit and first month’s rent if you have found somewhere that you can afford
• arrange for the City of London Corporation to act as a guarantor for your first year of tenancy (when you are ready and able to be a tenant) so you can rent a room/studio/flat privately
• you can rent a room/studio privately whilst you wait on the list for a council tenancy

It is important that your accommodation is for you. The support in this offer is to help you build safe caring friendships. Sometimes people involved in criminal activity (such as dealing drugs) might want to use your home. This is called ‘cuckooing’. This is unsafe and puts you at risk. Please tell us if you feel unsafe and we can work to support you.

You do not have to move into your council home/private renting until you are ready.

We will provide you with accommodation until you move into private renting or council tenancy (or you reach 25 years of age)

• You will have keywork support for as long as you need and use it.
• The keyworker will support you to learn how to run your own tenancy, including how to:
  • use a washing machine
  • use a launderette
  • budget for food and bills
  • make healthy food
  • use a bank account
  • make a doctors/dentist/optician appointment
  • call your immigration lawyer
  • travel around by bus
  • keep yourself safe sexually
  • set up services and pay bills (e.g. electricity) and anything else agreed between you, your social worker and support worker

As a care leaver you can apply for a City of London home. As a care leaver you will be given priority.

The home will be in one of five City of London estates. You will be offered a studio flat when one becomes available. The flat will be suitable for you. Do accept the flat as you will not be offered another.

Your social worker will

• help you apply for a City of London home
• work with you to understand the responsibilities of running your own home
• ensure your keyworker helps you be confident with running your own home
• offer you the opportunity to practice living in your own home and/or access expert financial support via https://www.mybnk.org/
• you will have the support of your own Tenancy Support Officer as you move into your own home and afterwards

• One-bedroom flats or bigger

These flats are reserved for people with children over the age of 6 months

• Permanent housing outside of City of London properties

We have no access to these properties. You can join the housing register in another borough/county if you have lived there for 2 years or more but you only have priority with the City of London as a care leaver. This means you would wait many more years for a permanent place to live.

As a care leaver you are exempt from paying Council Tax until you are 25.

Your social worker will:

If you live in the City of London (square mile)

• make sure that the City of London exempts you from Council Tax bills if you reside in the square mile

If you live outside of the City of London (square mile)

• make sure you have single person/any other subsidy from the local authority (borough) you are living in
• arrange for payment for the rest of your council tax bill (to be paid direct to the local authority where you live)

When you are ready to move into your own home we will support you to buy the essential things that you need. This is known as a setting up a home allowance.

You will receive up to £3,000

Your social worker will support you to make the most out of your money. This will include accessing low cost/second hand items and charity funding to set you up in your first home.

• furniture, flooring and white goods
• decorating costs
• your first TV licence
• removal and transport costs for moving in
• cooker and washing machine connection costs
• one year of contents insurance
• support with winter fuel payments for your first winter (December-February £10 a week)
• additional support for single parents

Your social worker can also provide you with luggage to help you move.