If you decide you want to find somewhere to live there are lots of ways of doing it. We think that there are 8 different ways. There are lots of different things to think about when you are deciding which way is right for you. These are things like: Why? Why do you want to move? It might be because you want to be more independent, or because you want more support, or different support. It might also be because you want to move to a different area, or live with different people. It might be because the house you live in now does not meet your needs. When? When do you want to move? Do you need to choose quickly, or can you spend lots of time looking at different places? You might have to move soon, because where you live now isn t right for you. If you are moving from your family home, you might have more time to think about it. PAGE 1
What is important? Make a list of what you want from a home. This might be things like living near your family, being somewhere quiet, or being near your college. You might want to stay near an area that you know. You might want to keep the same support that you have now. If you are unhappy where you live, you might want to live somewhere very different. Transport Think about where you need to go, and how easy it is to get there. You might need to be somewhere with lots of buses, or close to a station. You might need somewhere with space for a car. Safety You need to feel that you will be safe and secure in your home. You might want to stay in an area where you feel safe. If you are moving because you don t feel safe, you will want to find somewhere different. PAGE 2
You will also need to think about: Support What care and support services you will be able to get? Will your support needs change if you move? If you are moving away from your family or people who know you, you might need more support. You might be moving because you want less support, or a different kind of support. Money What money do you have, or what is available? This might be money that you earn, money that you get in benefits, or money from your family. Who can help? There are people who can help you with these things. Try to find: People who know about housing in your area, or the area you want to move to. Ask about what it usually costs to rent or buy a house in the area you want to live in, and whether there is much housing available. People in the Housing department at your local council. They can tell you about how the council decides who gets a house. PAGE 3
They can also tell you about local Housing Associations. You could also find out about: Money from the Housing Corporation for new housing association building. What next? When you have thought about all these things, you can see which of these 8 ways is the best way for you to get a house: 1. Existing care homes you might choose to move into a care home that is already set up, and has support in place for you. 2. Housing Association or Council Housing you might choose to live by yourself in a house or flat from the council or a housing association. They might also provide some support or you might have to organise the support that you need. 3. New housing association development you might choose to wait for a Housing Association to finish building something new. You could also ask them to build something PAGE 4
that meets your needs. Housing Options can tell you more about how to do this. 4. The private sector you might choose to rent or buy from someone who is renting or selling property that they own. This usually costs more, but you might not have to wait as long. 5. Shared ownership 6. Home ownership use of Trust 7. Family investment or staying put instead of moving, you or your family might decide to make some changes to where you live now, so that it meets your needs. 8. Buy to let this is when someone, usually a relative buys or builds somewhere for you to live. You pay them rent and they use this to pay for what the house cost. You can see that there is a lot to think about. Housing Options can give you more information by phone or on our website. We can also help you with the process of finding a home, but we have to charge for this. PAGE 5