Social housing offers people an affordable and secure choice of accommodation.
We are a member of North Yorkshire Home Choice. This is North Yorkshire’s way of allocating social or housing association properties for rent. It also includes some shared ownership properties for sale. You can find out more on the North Yorkshire Home Choice website.
North Yorkshire Home Choice was developed with the aim of giving you more choice in deciding where you want to live and choosing a home which best suits your needs.
Apply
If you want to apply for housing association housing, you need to register online at the North Yorkshire Home Choice website.
For your application, you will need:
- names, addresses and dates of birth of any adults and children living in your current property and any who will be moving with you
- the National Insurance numbers for primary and joint applicants
- your address history for the last five years
Properties that are available for rent are advertised weekly. If you are eligible and qualify to join the register you can express an interest, or bid, on properties you would like to be considered for.
You must actively bid for properties yourself, in order to be considered.
Guidance
The North Yorkshire Home Choice website has lots of guidance on completing your application.
If you don't have access to a computer
If you do not have access to a computer, you can use one at Ryedale House, Malton.
There are also public computers available in libraries and public buildings.
If you are unable to use or access a computer, call Yorkshire Housing on 0345 366 4404 or contact us.
Housing association stock in the Ryedale area
We aim to provide applicants with as much information as possible so that they can make informed decisions about where they would like to live.
As of April 2022, there were 1,064 active applicants registered with Yorkshire Housing in Ryedale – they administer the list on our behalf.
From April 2020 to March 2021 there were 291 tenancies started in the Ryedale area through North Yorkshire Home Choice.
We cannot help everyone but if you are flexible about the areas and property types you are willing to consider, the more chance you will have of being re-housed.
Together Housing only advertise 50 per cent of their housing stock in the Ryedale area through North Yorkshire Home Choice. The other 50 per cent is advertised through their own waiting list. You can apply for these directly through the Together Housing website. They have two schemes in Ryedale, one in Malton and one in Helmsley.
Going forward, North Yorkshire Home Choice is improving functions around the information published for wait times for each areas and the banding that people are generally housed in, which will help customers when bidding for properties.
Housing options advice
North Yorkshire Home Choice is not always the best option for everyone and there are several other options that may be more suitable for your housing needs.
If you are homeless or require housing advice, visit our homelessness prevention pages.
Contact us to ask for an appointment with the housing options team.
Applying for a house exchange within North Yorkshire
If you are already living in a social housing or council tenancy, it may be possible for you to exchange your home with another council or housing association tenant. Ordinarily, you must hold a secure or assured tenancy to be able to do this, but your landlord will be able to provide you with more information.
Some people advertise locally in local shops or newspapers in order to find a household who want to swap homes. More often now, people use social media, such as Facebook, to advertise for a home swap. If you find another household who want to swap houses with you, it is essential that you contact your landlords to discuss the requirements for this.
There are national websites available which you can use to advertise for a house swap, which will help with moving throughout the country. Look at your landlord’s webpage, or contact them for advice.
Financial help to buy carpets or furniture
We cannot usually fund carpets or furnish your house, but you may be able to apply for help from occupational charities if you have worked in the past and there is a charity linked to your job role. Visit the Turn 2 Us website for more information.
You may also be able to buy affordable furniture from the community furniture store in Scarborough. Visit the Community Furniture Stores website or call 01723 267177.