Website of the UK government

Who can apply?

If you cannot afford to buy a home there are many different ways you can get help. Each individual scheme will have its own criteria – so check the details of each scheme with your landlord or the relevant 'HomeBuy Agent'. You may be eligible if you are:

• a council tenant
  
• a housing association tenant
  
• a key worker (eg teacher or police officer)
  
• a first-time buyer with a household income of less than £60,000 per year and who can’t afford to buy a property on the open market without help

• HomeBuy eligibility criteria Opens new window

Types of schemes

Discount schemes
These are offered by social landlords (council and housing association tenants) to give their tenants the chance to buy their rented home at a discount, which is calculated according to where you live.

The three main discount schemes are ‘Right to Buy’ for council tenants, ‘Right to Acquire’ for housing associations tenants and the 'Social HomeBuy' scheme. Follow the links below for more information on the schemes.

• The Right to Buy scheme – help to buy your council home
• Right to Acquire - help to buy your housing association home
• Social HomeBuy – help to buy a share of your council or housing association home if your landlord if participating in the scheme
  

• The Right to Buy scheme
• Right to Acquire - help to buy your housing association home
• Social HomeBuy - shared ownership of your council or housing association property

Cash Incentive Schemes
Your council may also run a cash incentive scheme where they offer you money to move to a smaller property, so that they can use the space to house other people on their waiting lists. The details of the scheme vary from council to council, and not all councils offer the scheme. To find out more, contact the housing department of your local council.

• Find out about advice for council tenants Opens new window

Other schemes

HomeBuy
The HomeBuy schemes enable social tenants, key workers and first time buyers who are unable to buy a home on the open market without assistance to buy a share of a home.

There are three HomeBuy schemes based on 'equity loans' which is where the lender shares in any rise (and sometimes any fall) in the value of the property over the course of the loan. These are:

• Social HomeBuy enables tenants of local authorities and housing associations to buy a share in their current home at a discount
  
• 'New Build HomeBuy' enables people to buy a share of a newly built property paying a rent on the remainder (this includes the First Time Buyers Initiative which uses public sector land)
• 'Open Market HomeBuy' enables people to buy a property on the open market with the help of an equity loan

All first time buyers with a household income of less than £60,000 per year, who are unable to buy a home on the open market, can apply

Interested applicants need to contact the relevant HomeBuy agent for their area for further information. 

Tenants interested in the Social HomeBuy option are advised to contact their landlord to find out if the scheme is available to them.

Rent to HomeBuy
A new pilot ‘Rent to HomeBuy’ scheme has also been introduced.  You may be able to rent a newly built property for a fixed length of time if you cannot get an affordable mortgage for any of the other HomeBuy schemes. As with other HomeBuy schemes, you may be eligible for this pilot if you are a first time buyer with a household income of less than £60,00 a year. The Housing Corporation, a government agency, is running this scheme in certain areas of the UK. It will last until the end of March 2009. For further details on this and the New Build HomeBuy scheme, use the links below.

• Rent to HomeBuy scheme
• New Build HomeBuy scheme

HomeBuy Agents

HomeBuy agents are appointed housing associations. They are a point of contact for affordable housing options. They can handle the entire application process for the Open Market and New Build Homebuy products.

You can find a your local HomeBuy agent by following the link below.

• Contact your local HomeBuy agent Opens new window

Buying your home

Buying a home is a major financial commitment which will involve immediate costs, such as legal fees and Stamp Duty Land Tax, as well as new ongoing costs, such as paying the mortgage, repairs and service charges. You can work out some of the potential costs involved in buying your home by reading ‘Planning for buying a home’.

• Planning for buying a home
• Buying your home

More useful links

• Citizens Advice Bureau Opens new window
• Housing advice centres Opens new window
• Planning for buying a home