Home ownership and social tenancies
From time to time we are approached by elderly home owners who are interested in selling their home at a discount to the Council in exchange for a Council tenancy (e.g. for a bungalow).
I would be interested in whether anyone has experience of local policies to enable this - e.g. by what method is the discount agreed?
In my experience, it is that people trying to do this are no longer able to maintain their homes and think that a council bungalow is the best option, without having adequate information and advice about other alternatives.
Do you have a dedicated older people's housing options service in your area? They may be able to facilitate a move that does not involve the local authority (unless they are also housing providers).
I have heard of a case where someone sold their home to move to something more suitable and when they approached the Council about rented accomodation were told they were 'intentionally homeless' and therefore not entitled to assistance.
We need something in between that supports those who are thinking ahead and choosing to move to something more manageable, both financially and physically, that will enable and support this to happen. FirstStop and EAC are all we have nationally but it needs local services too.