Housing advice for residents

We offer advice on a wide range of housing issues. You may be looking for accommodation in the district, or you may be looking for assistance to help you stay in the home where you live now.

Applying to the council for housing

Our ‘housing register' lists all the people who have applied for council housing or housing association accommodation. Properties are let through the HomeOption choice based lettings scheme. We also give housing advice and information to people who have a housing problem. We have a homelessness prevention service and temporary housing may be provided at our hostel, or in other temporary accommodation. The Housing Options section also deals with mutual exchanges and council garage lettings.

Housing associations

We work with housing associations to develop new social housing. These are normally let at affordable rents to people on our waiting list for housing. Other options include shared ownership (part-rent and part-buy) and the NewBuy Guarantee scheme which aims to help people to buy a new-build home, if they have a deposit of at least 5%. We have started on a small-scale council housebuilding programme and we will be building new affordable housing for rent on the council's own land.

Housing services for older people

We have services for older people, including sheltered housing which is staffed by Council scheme managers who visit the residents regularly according to their needs. People in sheltered housing have access to our Careline emergency alarm system, which is also available to residents in the private sector.

Caring and repairing in Epping Forest (C.A.R.E.) is a home improvement agency which helps older homeowners and private tenants remain at home in greater comfort, warmth and security with a range of services. The team can provide advice about financial assistance.

Advice for owner occupiers, private tenants and landlords

The housing directorate has a team of environmental health and technical officers dealing with all aspects of residential health. They can assist with queries relating to housing conditions in privately rented accommodation, homes in multiple occupation (HMOs), mobile or park homes and empty properties.