Accessing affordable housing

• You must be unable to afford to buy a suitably sized, appropriate market property which meets your needs in the same area as the discounted market sale affordable home you are interested in. Your financial position will need to be verified by a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) accredited financial advisor.
• Your total household gross income (including your partner, if applicable) must be less than £80,000.
• You will need a deposit of at least five (5%) of the discounted price, but not more than 65% in equity/savings/gifted deposit, unless you have a life limiting condition which causes difficulty in accessing suitable accommodation in the borough.
• If you are over 55 years old, you can make a 100% cash purchase (using savings or equity), but you will be required to show you are unable to purchase the open market value of the discounted market sale home or a suitably sized market property in the same area as the affordable property.
• Many discounted market sale affordable homes are also covered by specific local connection criteria. You must be able to provide evidence of a strong local connection either by residence, employment or immediate family connections to the area where the discounted market sale affordable home is located. For rural properties this is usually a connection to the parish and for urban areas the ward. Please note, attendance of household members at a local school is not considered as a local connection.

Households in housing need

Eligibility for some discounted market sale homes is also restricted to households who are in housing need. This includes people who:

• are forming an emerging or separate new household, for example people who want to move out of their parents' home, couples who are separating into two households or house sharers who now want to live independently from each other
• are living in overcrowded, unsafe or poor housing conditions
• need to move to be nearer employment or support networks or to care for a close family member
• have at least two spare bedrooms
• are first time buyers.

The developer or agent marketing the discounted market sale property will be able to supply you with details of the specific local connection or housing need criteria that apply. Alternatively you can contact the affordable housing team via email: affordablehousing@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk