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1. Who Is Connect Housing? (Back to Top)|
Connect Housing is a charitable Housing Association providing and managing properties across West Yorkshire. We have offices in Leeds and Huddersfield and sell affordable homes across Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds & Wakefield. Operating as a not-for-profit organisation the money we receive from sale proceeds is invested back in to the provision for affordable housing and communities.
2. What is a Housing Association? (Back to Top)|
A housing association is a not for profit organisation which receives funding usually from the Tenant Services Authority and Local Authorities to provide and improve housing in the area. Housing associations registered with the Tenant Services Authority are sometimes called ‘registered social Landlords’. Housing associations work closely with the Local Councils and other housing associations in the area to offer a variety of products and services.
3. What is Shared Ownership? (Back to Top)|
Shared Ownership is a scheme which some housing associations and Local Councils operate. It is designed to help people to buy property in the area where they live which they would not be able to afford at full open market price. You can buy a particular share of the property and the housing association will keep the remaining share. The share of the property for sale will vary between the different developments.
On some of these schemes you then rent the remaining share from the housing association. Check individual property details for further information on charges.
4. Will I qualify? (Back to Top)|
The main criteria that will be used when allocating the properties is whether you are unable to buy a property to meet your needs on the open market, that will be your only property. For some developments, there will be specific criteria stating who will qualify for the properties. Each application will be assessed on its own merits. However priorities will be given to some groups of people such as:
• If you have a connection to the local area,
• If you are a key worker (ie someone employed by the public sector in a frontline, essential public service, for example Police, Fire brigade, NHS employees and members of the teaching profession )
• If you are a current tenant of a local authority or housing association
• If you are on a low household income (below £50,000 to £60,000 per year – dependant on development)
• If you are a first time buyer
• If you need to move house following a relationship breakdown
5. Will I need a mortgage? (Back to Top)|
In most cases the answer is Yes!
You will need a mortgage to purchase your share of the property. We recommend that you seek independent 'whole of market' financial advice when choosing a mortgage product in order to get the best possible product for you.
6. How much will it cost? (Back to Top)|
As with buying any other property there will be several things which you will have to pay upfront, such as deposits, legal fees and the set up costs of your new home. For a full break down of the costs associated with the purchase of a Shared Ownership property please click this link to the Costs section| of the website. Some of these costs will be up front and some will be running costs. For this reason we suggest that you have some savings ready for this and adequate provisions in place to budget for these costs.
7. Who is responsible for the repairs? (Back to Top)|
Shared owners are fully responsible for all repairs and maintenance in the property. In apartment blocks there will be some aspects of the property which will be covered by the lease and therefore covered by the lease and the service charge that you pay.
8. What happens if I want to move? (Back to Top)|
It will be stated in your lease that Connect Housing will have an opportunity to re-allocate the property to somebody else on our waiting list. In order to do this we will need to get a full open market valuation and you as the owner will be responsible for organising a Home Information Pack. For further details please click this link to Reselling a Shared Ownership section of this website.
9. How does Connect choose between applicants? (Back to Top)|
If you are interested in a shared ownership property you will be asked to complete an application form. This will be your opportunity to explain your personal situation and provide us with the information that it needed to allocate the properties as fairly as possible. It is not merely a case of first come, first allocation and thorough consideration is applied to ensure that you are eligible and that a suitable property meets your individual circumstances.
10. What size of property would Connect consider me for? (Back to Top)|
Generally the size of the property that you will be considered for in the allocation process will be dependant on your family size. For example:
1 Bedroom – Single Person or couple
2 Bedroom – 1 or 2 parents with no more than 2 children of the same sex
3 Bedroom – 1 or 2 parents with no more than 3 children
These are only guidelines so if in the situation that no other applications are received with a higher need then the properties will be allocated accordingly.
11. Am I able to choose what property I buy? (Back to Top)|
The properties that are available to buy will be listed through the Property Search on this site. Please click this link to move straight to the Property Search section.|
12. Are all Shared Ownership schemes the same? (Back to Top)|
The short answer is NO!
There are many different schemes which are available, please find below a summary of some of the main schemes which are available through Connect Housing:
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Shared Ownership (SO) is the most common form available through Connect Housing and operates on a part-buy, part-rent basis. However, the more recent shared ownership developments have zero rent to pay on the remaining share and the options allows the purchaser to buy further shares in the property.
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Do It Yourself Shared Ownership (DIYSO) is not a scheme which is still available for new properties at this time however, Connect Housing has a number of properties under this scheme which when they come available for resale will be sold on the same terms and conditions. All of Connect Housing’s DIYSO properties are part buy, part rent.
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Resale Price Covenant Scheme (RPCS) is a scheme which works as a discounted sale. This will mean that you will own 100% of the property however the discount that applied when you bought the property will have to be applied when the property is sold. This will ensure that the property remains affordable for the future residents. As you will be the 100% owner there will not be any rent to pay on the other share.
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Shared Equity (SE) is similar to Shared Ownership where the purchaser buys an initial percentage set by the Housing Association and does not pay rent on the remaining share. There is also the option to buy out the remaining share in future.
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Leasehold Scheme for the Elderly (LSE) is a Shared ownership scheme which states in the lease that the residents of the properties will have to be over 55 years old and will also have the restrictions on them as to maximum percentage of the property which can be owned.
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Rural Shared Ownership (RSO) is a shared ownership scheme which is located in a rural area (usually with a population of under 3,000). On such schemes it is usual that the lease will restrict the amount of equity that can be purchased and also have further conditions in relation to the surroundings and communities.
For further information on these schemes and the other Shared Ownership schemes which are available please click here to link to the Property Search section of this webiste.|
13. How do I apply? (Back to Top)|
Most properties (except ones which are not finished being built) may be available for you to view before you make your decision to apply. This will allow you to ask any questions to the member of Connect staff or previous occupier about the house. If you have any further questions about any of the properties that you have seen or would like to see if they are available to view then please contact the Connect Housing Sales Team.
For further information on the application process please click this link to go directly to the 10 Steps To A Home/How Shared Ownership Works page of our website| where you will also find a link to the application form to apply for shared ownership| housing through Connect Housing.