Eligibility Criteria
There are 3 qualifying criteria to purchase a property under the community housing scheme:
- Applicants must not be able to afford a mortgage for 10% more than the valuation of the property minus the proposed council contribution. Applicants will also need to be able to fund any deposit required by the mortgage company
- Local Connection
- lived in Ceredigion or an adjoining town/community council area (or a combination of the two) for a continuous period of 5 years or
- need to live in Ceredigion to substantially care for or be cared for by a close relative who has lived in Ceredigion or an adjoining town/community council area (or a combination of the two) for a continuous period of 5 years and the relative’s property is incapable (whether as it stands or subject to extension) of meeting the needs of the combined household or
- are employed in Ceredigion as a key worker on a full time (35 hours) permanent basis. For these purposes a Key Worker is:
- A teacher in a school or in a further education establishment or sixth form college;
- A nurse or other skilled health worker in the National Health Service;
- A police officer;
- A probation service worker;
- A social worker;
- An educational psychologist;
- An occupational therapist employed by the local authority;
- A fire officer;
- Any other person whose employment fulfils an important role in the provision of key services in Ceredigion where recruitment from within the County has proven difficult. This would need to be agreed with the Local Authority and recruitment evidence would need to be provided
- The applicant will occupy the property as their sole residence and will be required to confirm that they do not own other residential property.
If you are applying for a property under the community housing scheme jointly only one applicant needs to qualify for the Local Residency/Key Worker/Carer Criteria. Both will need to qualify for the financial and occupancy criteria.
Application Form
Please complete the Application Form for Community Housing Scheme and send the appropriate evidence stated below to ldp@ceredigion.gov.uk.
The documentation needed to prove your eligibility are:
Mortgage Certificate/ Promise/Decision in Principle: The information is required even if the mortgage offer is zero or you are declined a mortgage due to income/age etc. (this information might be in a letter rather than a certificate/promise/decision in principle).
Letter/Email stating the Maximum Mortgage available to you and your partner (where applicable) if not noted on the Mortgage Certificate/Promise/Decision in Principle. This is asked for, as the amount of mortgage that you ask for noted on a mortgage certificate/promise may be different to the maximum mortgage that you are able to obtain.
Last 3 months payslips for yourself and your partner (if applicable) or if you are self employed your business accounts for the last 3 years.
Last P60 for yourself and your partner (if applicable).
If you are retired or not able to obtain a mortgage due to age or are no longer able to work: Pension details for last 3 months, annual pension statement, details of any allowances and any other income.
Only one applicants needs to qualify and only have to provide one of the documentation stated below:
2a. Documents needed to prove local residency:
Electoral roll information: This information can be obtained from the Electoral Registration Department of Ceredigion County Council (Tel: 01545 572035). There is a charge for this.
Letter from Doctor: Stating the time you have been registered at the practice and your address/es while registered.
Letter from School/College: If you were at school/college anytime during the ten-year period, please contact the school/college and ask for a letter stating the address and time period you were a student.
2b. Documentation needed to prove key worker status
Please provide evidence of your employment e.g. contract & job description.
2c. Documentation to prove that you qualify qualifies under the carer criteria:
You will need to think about the available information to show how you satisfy each of i) to iv) below.
- i) why you/your close relative need to be cared for;
ii) why your close relative’s house is unsuitable for you all to live in and why it cannot be adapted or extended to make it suitable;
iii) how your close relative satisfies the first part of this Rule;
iv) how you are related to your close relative (brother, sister, son, daughter, parent, grandparent, nephew, niece, husband or wife including parent-child relationships arising from adoption and relationships between those living as husband and wife including same sex couples);
In relation to i) for instance, it is likely that the person needing the care (whether you or your relative) will be receiving help from Social Services and/or the National Health Service. A letter from them might help to show that you/they need to be substantially cared for.
In relation to ii), a letter from Social Services or the National Health Service might also help in explaining why the relative’s present property is unsuitable and why it cannot be adapted or extended.
In relation to iii), you will need to consider how to show that your relative satisfies the Local Person criteria.
In relation to iv), depending upon your relationship, the production of your Birth Certificate and that of your relative (e.g., parent) would show how you are related.
You will also need to submit a signed statutory declaration, which should include your names and be signed by you and your partner (if applicable) in the presence of a solicitor, and the solicitor's name and address must also be included.
The solicitor/commissioner of oaths may charge for this service, and therefore it might be better for you to wait until you have gathered all the necessary information before securing the statutory declaration. The lawyer/commissioner of oaths must put a stamp bearing his name and address on the statement.
You must comply with this rule while you own a property under the community housing scheme, and you will have to confirm the fact at the end of each year.