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Who is eligible

There are many different ways you can get help buying a home if you cannot afford to buy. Each individual scheme will have its own criteria – so check the details of each scheme with your landlord or the relevant HomeBuy agent. You may be eligible if you are:

• a council tenant
  
• a housing association tenant
• those who are on the housing register, waiting for a council or housing association home to rent
  
• a key worker (eg teacher or police officer)
  
• first-time buyers who can’t afford to buy a property, as identified by the Regional Housing Board

• Eligible first-time buyers list (opens new window)

Types of schemes

Discount schemes
These are offered by social landlords (council and housing association tenants) to give their tenants the chance to buy their rented home at a discount, which is calculated according to where you live.

The three main discount schemes are ‘Right to Buy’ for council tenants, ‘Right to Acquire’ for housing associations tenants and the Social HomeBuy scheme. Follow the links below for more information on the schemes.

• The Right to Buy scheme – help to buy your council home
• Right to Acquire - help to buy your housing association home
• Social HomeBuy – help to buy a share of your council or housing association home if your landlord if participating in the scheme
  

• The Right to Buy scheme
• Right to Acquire - help to buy your housing association home
• Social HomeBuy - shared ownership of your council or housing association property

Cash Incentive Schemes
Your council may also run a cash incentive scheme where they offer you money to move to a smaller property, so that they can use the space to house other people on their waiting lists. The details of the scheme vary from council to council, and not all councils offer the scheme. To find out more, contact the housing department of your local council.

• Find your local council

HomeBuy

The HomeBuy scheme, launched in April 2006, enables social tenants, key workers and other priority first time buyers to buy a share of a home and get a first step on the housing ladder.

There are three HomeBuy products based on equity sharing to offer people a choice in the type of home they can buy. These are:

• Social HomeBuy enables tenants of local authorities and housing associations to buy a share in their current home at a discount
  
• New Build HomeBuy enables people to buy a share of a newly built property paying a rent on the remainder (this includes the First Time Buyers Initiative which uses public sector land)
• Open Market HomeBuy enables people to buy a property on the open market with the help of an equity loan

The scheme helps the following priority groups:

• tenants of councils and housing associations, and those who are on the housing register, who are a priority for  a council or housing association home to rent
• Key workers: those working in the public sector in health, education or community safety - such as teachers, nurses and police officers - in areas where high house prices are affecting recruitment and retention. Any assistance will need to be repaid if participants leave qualifying employment
• First time buyers: households who can't afford to buy their own homes, who have been identified as eligible for assistance by the Regional Housing Boards

Interested applicants need to contact the relevant HomeBuy agent for their area for further information. 

Tenants interested in the Social HomeBuy option are advised to contact their landlord to find out if the scheme is available to them.

HomeBuy Agents

HomeBuy agents are appointed housing associations. They are a point of contact for affordable housing options. They can handle the entire application process for the Open Market and New Build Homebuy products.

You can find a your local HomeBuy agent at the link below

• Contact your local HomeBuy agent (opens new window)

Buying your home

Buying a home is a major financial commitment which will involve immediate costs, such as legal fees and Stamp Duty Land Tax, as well as new ongoing costs, such as paying the mortgage, repairs and service charges. You can work out some of the potential costs involved in buying your home by reading ‘Planning for buying a home’.

• Planning for buying a home
• Buying your home

More useful links

• Citizens Advice Bureau (opens new window)
• Housing advice centres (opens new window)
• Planning for buying a home