Ways of Finding a Home
Serving Personnel
Whether you are living on or off base, renting or thinking about buying a home, there is advice and support available to you.
Veterans
Whether you are renting or thinking about buying a home, there is advice and support available to you.
Own your own home provides a range of schemes that make home-buying more affordable.
Council Support to Find a Home Whether you own your own home, rent it privately, from the Council or Housing Association.
Other organisations
Further links to organisations who may be able to help provide information on finding a home for you or your family:
Advice and support from the British Legion - The Royal British Legion provides advocacy and assists them with a range of issues in addition to housing advice, for example finance and health.
Citizens Advice - Housing options for people leaving the Armed Forces, veterans and their families.
The MOD Army - provides subsidised accommodation for its servicemen and women. Visit their website for details of service personnel entitlement to service accommodation and removals for personal possessions on assignment to a new area.
The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) - offers advice and assistance to anyone eligible for their help, whether they are serving or ex-service, or a family member of someone with a service connection. The SSAFA also provide housing and residential home facilities.
Veterans Gateway - gives access to a network of organisations, making it easy for veterans and their families to connect with the help, advice and support they need from their first point of contact.
Veterans UK - provides advice regarding the help available to ex-service personnel who are homeless or are threatened with homelessness.
SPACES - Single Persons Accommodation Centre for the Ex Services, SPACES, is a housing advice and placement service for veterans. SPACES targets the most vulnerable of Service leavers, regardless of rank, length of service, or reason for discharge.
Haig Housing - Housing provider for ex-Service personnel in the UK, owns over 1500 properties across 50 locations. Endeavours to help any veterans in housing need, whether they are transitioning into civilian life or are simply in need of a helping hand. Website: www.haighousing.org.uk Tel: 0208 685 5777
Shelter - Provide expert advice to help you deal with your housing difficulties.
Launchpad Charity providing affordable supported rental accommodation with onsite support to veterans of all ages and their partners. Accommodation in Newcastle and Liverpool, provides a base from which residents can successful make the transition to civilian life. Accepts veterans with complex issues which can be resolved over a max of 2 years. Website: www.veteranslaunchpad.org.uk Tel: 0300 1111 238
Alabare Homes for Veterans Charity provide temporary accommodation to British Armed Forces Veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. 24 homes across England and Wales, providing 110 bed spaces. Website: www.alabare.co.uk/homes-services Tel: 01722 322 882
Additional Local Support
One Support - Helping homeless people to move on to secure homes and a more stable future.
Handy Van Service – Poppy Calls
Tel: 0800 032 0306, email: homesupportadmin@britishlegion.org.uk
The Legion's handy van service, Poppy Calls, helps ex-Service people and their families with small household repairs and minor adaptations.
If you're having trouble with those small household repairs and minor adaptations around your home and are one of our beneficiaries, the Royal British Legion can provide our handy van service known as Poppy Calls.
We have a dedicated and trusted team of experienced handypeople who are fully trained to carry out low-level maintenance in your home, including:
- Changing light bulbs and tap washers
- Putting up shelves, curtain rails and grab rails
- Fitting smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
- Fitting and changing door locks and other security features
- Building access ramps and storage sheds to house Legion-provided Electrically Propelled Vehicles
- Installing care phones.
Tendring District Council Housing Allocations Policy
Housing Adaptations - Disabled Facilities Grant
If a disability is making life difficult for you, or someone living in your house, then you may be entitled to help in the form of a grant or an interest-free loan. Your Council can help you to access the Disabled Facilities Grants
Home owners, tenants, occupiers of house boats and park homes, and landlords can apply for this mandatory grant towards the cost of adapting a home to meet the needs of a disabled person. Applications will only be considered where an occupational therapy assessment has been received.
The maximum cost of works covered by the grant is £30,000 and depending on the disabled person's financial circumstances, there may be a contribution to make.
The works can include:
- Access to and from the home, including the gardens. For example ramps, pathways and handrails.
- Making the home safe for the disabled occupant, and others living there.
- Access to rooms used as a family room, bedroom, kitchen or bathroom. This can include widening, re-positioning or re-siting doors. Tracking, stair lifts and through floor lifts.
- Adaptations to toilets, and bathing and washing facilities. For example wet rooms and specialised toilets.
- Kitchen alterations to enable the disabled occupant to prepare snacks during the day, and sometimes specialised cookers, ovens, work surfaces and sink units.
- Improving heating to the rooms and areas normally used by the disabled occupant.
- Controlling sources of power, heat and light by altering the position of, or providing extra, controls.
There may be other works which can be included and we will always advise you.
If an applicant cannot meet their assessed contribution for a DFG the Council and Essex Social Services will explore the available funding options.
Who to contact
Before any Disabled Facilities Grant can go forward you need to know whether the proposed works are suitable. You should contact Social Care Direct at Essex County Council on 0345 603 7630. If their assessment identifies eligible works then they will send us a copy of the Occupational Therapist's recommendations with a request that we offer financial assistance in the form of a grant or loan.