Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility for all affordable housing schemes is subject to funding. Priority will vary from each scheme depending on location and funding rules. To find out if you are eligible refer to the following criteria:

Living in a London Borough    

If you are living in a London borough find out more about eligibility through FIRST STEPS. 

Living in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey or Sussex    

If you are in living in either Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey or Sussex you can find out more about eligibility through HomeBuy.

Am I eligible?

If your household income is less than £60,000, you could be eligible for a home. 

Who gets priority?

The huge demand for properties means applicants must be prioritised. Households will be prioritised for homes in the following order:

• Existing council and housing association tenants and serving military personnel*
• Local priorities agreed by Local Authorities or via planning conditions these can vary by Local Authority depending on local needs, but will be explained in the property details of homes found on this site.

As homes are advertised, if no priority household succeeds in securing it, the home will be made available to all other applicants who fit all other criteria to apply to buy or rent a home.

* You can check eligibility criteria and apply online at FIRST STEPS.

Income Eligibility

For all government funded homes available, your total household income should be less than £60,000 per year and you must be able to demonstrate that you can afford to sustain the costs involved in FIRST STEPS Buy and FIRST STEPS Rent products.

Only in exceptional circumstances will applications from households with an annual income above £60,000 be considered.

Savings

You must have savings or access to at least £4000 to cover the costs of buying a home - this amount is a guideline figure and will vary depending on the product you buy through. In addition to this amount your mortgage lender is likely to require a minimum 5-10% deposit of the share that you buy, depending on the scheme you buy through.

Your savings and assets, access to those savings and assets, and any income generated by them will be taken into account when assessing your financial eligibility for low cost home ownership. You should also have a good credit history.

Any lump sums paid to eligible members of the armed forces, as a result of illness or injury is disregarded at financial assessment - this only applies to one off lump sum payments and not to payments such as pensions which are classed as income.

Home Owners

Owner occupiers, including those who have bought with shared ownership or a home ownership product designed for key workers, are not eligible for assistance through government funded products.

If you are a potential home buyer who owns a property and wishes to buy or rent a home through FIRST STEPS, you must either demonstrate that you are in housing need (for example; if your family has outgrown your current home and you cannot afford a suitably sized home without assistance), you have Local Authority support to buy through FIRST STEPS or you have sold your property prior to applying.

You must be a British, EU/EEA citizen, or have indefinite leave to remain in the UK. If you do not have indefinite leave to remain and still interested in buying a home, you must be able to demonstrate that you are able to raise a mortgage with an acceptable lender and that you can afford to sustain home ownership in the longer term. This will normally require a detailed individual financial assessment.