Housing associations are not for profit organisations. They own properties and let them in a way that is similar to the Council. You will have very similar rights and obligations as a council contract holder and the rent is also set at an affordable level.

You could ask for a nomination, or apply directly.

Nominations to housing associations

When you apply for council housing, you can also ask to be considered for a nomination to one of the housing associations that have properties in Wrexham County Borough.

We use the same criteria for selecting applicants for nomination that we use for allocating council properties.

Nominating means we recommend applicants from our waiting list to become new tenants of empty housing association properties.

As we can’t help everyone who applies for housing, requesting a nomination to a housing association could increase your chances of re-housing.

How do nominations work? 

Housing associations are required by the Welsh Government to help us find accommodation for those in need.

We have agreements with lots of housing associations to provide nominees for a certain percentage of their properties that become empty (the percentage varies depending on the housing association).

The associations contact us when they know that a property is becoming empty and they need us to nominate.

We provide them with a nominee for each vacancy, selecting applicants who have:

• requested that type, size and location of property
• indicated on their housing application form that they’re interested in being nominated
• the greatest priority according to our lettings policy.

If you’ve been selected we’ll write to let you know that we’re passing your details on to the housing association, and that they’ll be contacting you soon.

In most cases the association will arrange to visit you before deciding if you’ll be offered the property. If you’re successful, you’ll receive an offer of tenancy in writing and will be asked if you wish to accept it.

Once you’ve accepted an offer of housing association accommodation we will remove your application from our waiting list.

If you declared yourself as homeless to us and we had a legal duty to help you secure accommodation, you’ll be informed that the offer of tenancy from the housing association ends our duty (this will be because we believe that the property is suitable for your needs).

You may ask for a review of this decision.

Applying to housing associations 

You can also make an application for housing directly to a housing association.

Some housing associations manage their own waiting lists and applying directly to them won’t affect your application for council housing application in any way.

Support for those in difficult or unsafe circumstances

If you would benefit from support on hand to help you live independently (or to stay in your home if you would like to remain there) you may be able to get this through one of the Housing Support Grant schemes:

Options for older people

Another way to increase your chances of moving to a more suitable home is to apply for a mutual exchange. If you have a secure tenancy with us, you have the right to apply to swap houses with another tenant of any council or housing association.

We’ve joined Homeswapper, a national service where you can search online for other tenants who want to swap homes.

If you’re interested in applying for a mutual exchange, you can register or find further information on the Homeswapper website (external link).

Our local lettings agency provides a service to those households who may not be able to access private rented accommodation without help. 

We work closely with the housing options service (contact if you’re at risk of becoming homeless) and can only take referrals from them. If you are eligible then we may be able to help you find accommodation in the private rented sector.

Intermediate rental properties are owned and let by housing associations. They are managed and maintained in the same way as social rented homes, but the rent may be higher (up to 80% of open market rent). 

You may be able to apply for an intermediate rental property if your annual income is between £16,000 and £45,000 and you cannot afford a property on the open market. You do not need to be in full time work. 

In Wrexham this type of property is allocated by Tai Teg:

There are some schemes available to help people who want to get onto the property ladder but who cannot meet the full cost of buying their first home.

You may be able to buy a property through one of our affordable home ownership schemes.

Find out more via:

Renting a room in a shared house can be a cheaper alternative to renting a whole property. 

If you are under 35 years of age and entitled to help to pay your rent, this could be your only affordable option in the private rented sector. 

This can also be a good option if you want to meet new people, or if you and some friends would like to live independently. You share the cost of some household bills, so it could help you save some money.