Advice and support for finding a home - Print version

We want to make homelessness advice as easy to access as possible. We’ve put together some useful information which may be helpful if you have questions about your housing situation or how to find a home.

What support services are available to me?

Coventry City Council works with P3 to provide housing-related advice and support to single people over 25 and families. You can find out more about the services P3 provide on their website. [https://www.p3charity.org/services/coventry-housing-support] 

View our Homelessness Directory [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory/37/homelessness-services] to find other support services available to you.

What alternative accommodation is available in the city?

If you have support needs which mean that you require additional support to be able to live independently, there are a range of options available depending on your circumstances.

Coventry Foyer

Supported accommodation for young people aged 16-24. It provides support for those willing to engage with education, employment, and training opportunities whilst living at the scheme. If you think this is an option you may benefit from, speak to your housing officer about a referral. Visit the Coventry Foyer [https://www.midlandheart.org.uk/find-a-home/homes-with-support-search/coventry-foyer/] website for more information, alternatively you can call 024 7625 1001.

Harnall Lifehouse

Harnall Lifehouse provides accommodation and support for single people over 25 years old. Harnall Lifehouse accepts self-referrals alongside referrals from agencies such as Coventry City Council.
Visit the Harnell Lifehouse website [https://www.homeless.org.uk/homeless-england/service/salvation-army-harnall-lifehouse] for more information, alternatively you can call 024 701 1770.

Coventry Cyrenians

Residential support service for people over the age of 16 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Their accommodation is spread across the city. Coventry Cyrenians accept self-referrals alongside referrals from agencies such as Coventry City Council.  Visit Coventry Cyrenians [http://www.coventrycyrenians.co.uk/] website for more information, alternatively you can call 024 7622 8099.

Valley House

Accommodation and support for vulnerable individuals and families, including young families and households fleeing domestic violence. Valley House accept self-referrals alongside referrals from agencies such as Coventry City Council. Visit Valley House [https://valleyhouse.org.uk/] website for more information, alternatively you can call 024 7626 6280.

Help to find a private rented property

A private rented sector property is a residential property such as a house, flat, or bungalow, which is owned by an individual landlord or a company, who rent their properties to the public.

In many cases it is easier, quicker, and more convenient to secure a property in the private rented sector than it is to get a social housing property. This is especially true for larger families, where there is a large shortage of suitable social housing properties.

As there are far more private rented houses on the market, there are far more opportunities for flexibility, and to choose the right property which suits your needs. This is particularly true if you want to live in certain areas of the city, as the private rented sector gives far greater flexibility to choose where to live than the social housing property market does. This is also true if you only want to consider living in a house rather than a flat, as only 25% of properties let by Housing Associations in Coventry last year were houses.

What you need to rent privately

There are several documents that a landlord or letting agency will often ask for to ensure that you are reliable, that you can afford your rent, and to prove your identity. They may ask for documents such as:

• Proof of benefit
• Identification
• Proof of current address (if you have one)
• Your employment contract or accounts information if you are self-employed
• Recent bank statements or pay slips
• Immigration documents which prove your right to live in the UK

Finding a private rented property

There are many factors to think about when searching for a new place to live. Some of the most common factors are:

• Location
• Cost
• Transport links to jobs and schools
• Whether you need specialist accommodation (e.g. specific disabled access)

The easiest and fastest way to find a property is online, where you can search by the criteria you want (area, cost, etc) and arrange viewings. Private rented properties are often advertised on the following websites:

• Spareroom [https://www.spareroom.co.uk]
• Rightmove [https://www.rightmove.co.uk]
• Gumtree [https://www.gumtree.com]
• Zoopla [https://www.zoopla.co.uk]
• Dsslocal [https://dsslocal.com]

There are also many local lettings agencies in Coventry. You can find these by typing ‘Coventry lettings agencies’ into Google. Here you will be able to view properties from these agencies, and information including phone numbers and contact addresses, which can be used for further help to find a property. If you do not have easy access to the internet, you can find lettings agencies scattered across the city centre, and in some of the areas you may want to live.

If you are in receipt of housing benefit, you should not allow this to put you off trying to find a property in the private rented sector. Whilst there is a widely held belief that landlords will not let properties to people on benefits, this is not true and many people on benefits do successfully find adequate and affordable accommodation in the private rented sector.

Can I get help if I want to own my own home?

If you have any savings or assets, it is always worth exploring options available to you through affordable home ownership. There are several alternatives to a traditional mortgage for those looking to own their own homes, many of which are much easier to access due to requiring lower up-front deposits.

Shared Ownership

Shared ownership is a scheme where you buy a proportion of the value of a property and pay rent on the rest, which will be owned by a landlord, usually a housing association.

For example, you could purchase 50% of the property and pay rent on the remaining 50%. The share you can buy is usually between 25% and 75%, but in some cases may be as low as 10%.

You can buy a new-build home or an existing home through a shared ownership resale scheme.

You could buy a property through shared ownership if:

• Your household has an annual income below £80,000;

and

• You cannot afford all of the deposit and mortgage payments for a home that meets your needs

and

• You are either: a first time buyer; you used to own a home but now cannot afford to buy one now; you already own a shared ownership property but are looking to move; you are forming a new household (for example after a relationship breakdown).

If you buy a shared ownership home, you are able to buy further shares in the future, in most cases up to 100% of the property.

For more information on shared ownership, visit the Shared Ownership Homes page on the gov.uk website: Shared ownership homes: buying, improving and selling: How shared ownership works - GOV.UK [https://www.gov.uk/shared-ownership-scheme]

Shared ownership is run by housing associations. The housing association will be the landlord that owns the portion of the home that you pay rent on.

To find a shared ownership home, and apply to buy one, please contact the Housing Associations directly. You can search for housing associations that offer shared ownership here: Where do you want to buy a home? [https://www.shared-ownership-scheme.service.gov.uk/find-organisations-selling-shared-ownership-homes]

Properties are also often advertised on property websites such as Rightmove and Share to Buy https://www.sharetobuy.com/ [https://www.sharetobuy.com/]

There is a specific scheme for people with disabilities to purchase a home that meets their needs on a shared ownership basis (HOLD – Home ownership for people with long term disabilities). The organisation that offers this scheme in Coventry is Advance Housing and Support HOLD Shared Ownership for People with Long-Term Disabilities | Advance Housing [https://www.advanceuk.org/services/shared-ownership]

Discount Market Sale

Discount Market Sale is a scheme offered by developers on some new-build sites, where properties are available to buy at 25% below market value. You will own 100% of the property and there is no rent to pay. If you sell the property in the future, it must be to someone who is eligible, and you must give them the same percentage discount that you received, based on the home’s market value at the time of the sale.

Discount Market Sale properties may be available directly from developers on new sites, and re-sales of discount market properties may be advertised by estate agents.

To be eligible to buy a Discount Market Sale property the purchaser must:

• Have a local connection to Coventry
• Have a household income at or below the average household income in Coventry at the time you buy the property. The current household income limit is £41,500 per year.

If you are interested in buying a discount market sale property, contact developers directly or look out for adverts placed by estate agents.

Re-sales of discount market sale properties

If you want to sell your discount market sale property, please contact housingstrategy@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:housingstrategy@coventry.gov.uk] before the property is marketed, to clarify the exact details for the sale of your property. You will need to provide evidence to show that the sale meets the criteria.

First Homes

First Homes is a government scheme where eligible people can buy a new build property with a discount of at least 30%. For more information about the scheme and eligibility, please visit the First Homes scheme: first-time buyer's guide: Overview - GOV.UK [https://www.gov.uk/first-homes-scheme]

The First Homes scheme is offered by some developers on specific sites, please contact the developers directly to express an interest.