Other housing options

Suitable housing

If you are finding it hard to manage in your current house or flat, you may want to consider altering it to suit your needs. See the ‘Equipment and adaptations’ information section beginning on page 30.

If you would like information and advice on housing options for older people, Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC) offers a self-help tool called HOOP (Housing Options for Older People). See page 100.

Useful contacts

Shelter

Gives practical housing advice and support online, in person and by phone. Expert advisers give free, confidential advice 365 days a year, helping with everything from mortgage arrears to finding a place to sleep. Tel: 0808 800 4444 (urgent helpline). Web: https://england.shelter.org.uk

Citizens Advice

Offers information and advice about housing issues, your rights and responsibilities, renting or buying a home or finding somewhere to live, landlords, eviction and mortgage payments and help to avoid losing your home. Tel: 0800 144 8848 (national adviceline). Web: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing

Council housing

You can apply for council housing through your local council’s housing department (this is your borough, district or city council, not the County Council). You will usually have to join a waiting list and you are not guaranteed to get a property.

Housing associations

Housing associations are private, non-profit making organisations that provide low-cost housing for people in need of a home. Although independent they are regulated by the Government and often receive public funding. Many housing associations also run shared

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ownership schemes to help those who cannot afford to buy a home outright. You can apply directly to a housing association, or often through your local council. You can apply to more than one housing association at a time.

Once you apply, you will be put on a waiting list. Housing associations normally offer housing to people most suited to that particular property. You may have to wait a long time for a suitable property to become available.

More about housing association homes is provided by the Government. Visit www.gov.uk/housing-

association-homes

Sheltered housing

Sheltered housing is mainly for older people and usually takes the form of a group of small bungalows or flats supervised by a scheme manager, who may or may not live on site, and who can give help and support in an emergency.

Sheltered housing can be bought or rented privately, or it may be provided by a local authority, subject to eligibility.

To find out more about local authority funded sheltered housing, contact your local council’s housing department. You can also search for advice on housing matters using Connect to Support Hampshire’s Community Directory. Visit www.

connecttosupporthampshire.org.uk/directories

and select ‘Choose your category’ then ‘Housing/ Accommodation’ and ‘Advice’.

Supported Housing/Shared Living

There are some ‘group living’ schemes which offer communal accommodation to small groups of people in a similar situation – a kind of house-share.

Supported Housing or Shared Living can be in a service supporting usually between one and four people, though larger services do exist. Levels of support can vary from a few hours a week to 24-hour support. Basically, it is a form of support that provides a range of options for adults with intellectual disabilities to be supported in their own home with a tenancy by a qualified contracted provider. These schemes are mainly for people with learning disabilities and for people with mental health problems. Schemes are run largely by voluntary organisations or housing associations. Generally, these schemes deliver the same kind of services as in sheltered housing. The only difference is that sheltered housing is normally associated with older people.

The objective is to provide a warm and supportive home, with the opportunity for individuals to live a more independent life and become part of a community. For more information on these schemes, please contact your adult social care department. You can also search for supported living schemes in Connect to Support Hampshire’s Community Directory. Visit www.connecttosupporthampshire. org.uk/directories (select ‘Choose your category’ then ‘Housing/Accommodation’ and ‘Supported living/Retirement housing’).

Shared Lives

For those assessed as eligible by their local adult social care department, Shared Lives schemes provide a permanent home, a short stay, or day care in an ordinary home setting in the community. Shared Lives started as a scheme for adults with learning disabilities but is increasingly becoming an option for older people as well as those with physical disabilities and mental health conditions. Shared Lives schemes are always interested in hearing from those who would like to be a Shared Lives carer.

Useful contacts

If you are interested in the Shared Lives scheme, contact your local authority or visit its website below and search ‘Shared Lives’.

Hampshire County Council

Tel: 0300 555 1386 Web: www.hants.gov.uk

Portsmouth City Council

Tel: 023 9261 6700 Web: www.portsmouth.gov.uk

Southampton City Council

Tel: 023 8083 3003 Web: www.southampton.gov.uk