Applying for social housing

Social housing is advertised in North Somerset on a website called HousingJigsaw. Most of the homes are owned by Alliance Homes.

The website allows you to register your interest in social housing by bidding on up to three properties a week. Bidding does not involve placing money on a property – you just need to tick a few boxes to let us know that you would be interested in moving into this home.

Eligibility

You will need to qualify in order to apply. To qualify, you will need to meet one or more of the following criteria: 

  • have a connection to North Somerset, either through family, residency, or employment
  • be a member of the Armed or Reserve forces, or a spouse or partner of a member 
  • are homeless or threatened with homelessness
  • are a social housing tenant
  • are a victim of domestic abuse and are seeking refuge

You can find more information about eligibility in our policy document below. 

You may not be eligible to register if:

  • you are subject to immigration controls under the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 and do not have refugee status
  • a member of your household has been guilty of unacceptable behaviour serious enough to make you an unsuitable tenant

How to register

To apply for social housing, you will need to apply online on our HousingJigsaw website. The form expires after 30 minutes so make sure you’ve got everything you may need with you when you start the application, such as:

  • current address and the date you moved in
  • details of the people who will be living with you
  • details about any employment and your income

If you need help to register on the system, you can give us a call on 01934 426 330.

How we process your application

When we process your application, we will assess your housing need. You will be allocated to one of four priority bands – A, B, C or D. Applicants in band A are in more urgent need of housing compared to those in band D. It can take up to 10 working days to process your application.

It is unlikely that you will be offered social housing unless you are in severe circumstances. Around 600 properties become available each year but there are about 3,300 households waiting on the HomeChoice register with over 300 new applicants every month.

Applying for a property

All available social housing properties in North Somerset are advertised every Thursday. The bidding cycle runs from Thursday to the following Wednesday, closing at midnight. You can place a bid on up to three properties per week. You can withdraw your bids if you change your mind.

If you see a property which meets your housing needs, place a bid.

You can bid:

  • using the HousingJigsaw website
  • calling our call centre on 01934 426 330

If you are offered a property by one of our scheme landlords, you will need up to four weeks' rent in advance to sign up and accept the offer. The weekly rent is published on each property advert.