Homeswapper is the UK’s largest community of social housing tenants looking for a House Swap/Mutual Exchange.  It’s a quick and easy way of finding both local and national moves with 500,000 social tenants currently already on HomeSwapper.  Eden Housing Association’s commitment to Homeswapper means that our tenants can sign up for the service free of charge! A House Swap/Mutual Exchange is where one tenant agrees with another tenant to swap homes.  This means that the tenant ‘assigns’ their interest in a tenancy to another person.  The tenancy itself continues on the same basis, the tenancy does not end, neither does a new one start.  It is the tenant who changes. Tenants of Eden Housing Association may swap/exchange with: But not with: You need our written permission to exchange and there are certain circumstances where we may withhold that permission.  To find someone to exchange with, you can register at  www.homeswapper.co.uk

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Right to buy eligibility All tenants who transferred from Eden District Council on 22 September 1997 have the ‘Right to Buy’. This is a government run scheme that allows you to purchase your home at a discounted price. The property should be your only or principal home and is self-contained. There are exceptions to this depending on the type of property.  For example, if the property is either sheltered accommodation, designated for persons over the age of 55, adapted for a disabled person, or if a demolition notice has been served in respect of the property, they cannot buy their home. You may buy your home jointly with members of your family who have lived with you for the past 12 months, or with someone who is a joint tenant with you. You cannot buy your home under this scheme if you are eligible for the Right to Buy, if a court makes a possession order, which says that you must leave your home.  Neither can you buy your home if you are an undischarged bankrupt, have a bankruptcy petition pending against you, or an arrangement has been made with creditors (people you owe money to) and you still owe…

So what is Choice Based Lettings? Eden Housing Association allocates its properties using Cumbria Choice. Cumbria Choice is a sub regional scheme for letting social rented property throughout Cumbria. It is a partnership between the 2 Local Authorities and 6 Social Housing Providers across Cumbria. It is managed through a web based computer system. To be part of the scheme customers need to apply to the Common Housing Register. There is only one application form to complete and customers will be placed on the register if they meet the eligibility criteria. Priority for housing is awarded through a “banding system” that places customers in one of three Bands according to their housing needs. Landlords advertise their properties on a weekly basis and customers are able to exercise choice by registering an interest in the property. Although the Cumbria Choice Scheme does not increase the numbers of homes available, the scheme provides a more transparent and accountable way of letting homes, and more importantly gives people more choice about where they would prefer to live. Although it does not increase the number of homes available, the Cumbria Scheme provide a more transparent and accountable way of letting homes, and more importantly…