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Housing

Here you can read useful information about housing. Select a topic to find out more.

• Different housing options
• Staying in your own home with support
• Upkeep of your home
• General home maintenance advice
• Housing fact sheet

Different housing options

Social housing

You need to complete a housing application to apply for a Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) or housing association property. This will allow you to be considered by all social landlords who have housing in the area in which you want to live. This form also allows you to apply for sheltered housing and specialist accommodation where extra support is available for people with special needs.

To make a housing application, contact your local Housing Executive or housing association office or visit the NIHE website

If you live in Belfast you can also make an application or transfer request by phoning 03448 920 900.

However, if you are a housing association tenant wishing to transfer then you should contact your housing association.

Sheltered housing

Sheltered housing is a property specially designed for older people or disabled people that has support provided on site. Sheltered accommodation aims to promote residents' independence for as long as possible while at the same time providing contact with support staff and others. Residents are able to access help and assistance when needed.

You can find out more information about sheltered housing from the NIHE website

Private renting

You can find information about renting privately on the NIHE website

You can also get information from the Housing Rights Service or Citizens Advice

Homelessness

If you have no home or are at risk of losing your home you should contact your local Housing Executive district office or the Homeless Advice Centre.

For more information, visit the NIHE website

Moving house

When moving into a new home you should:

• check the smoke alarm works
• take gas, electricity and water readings
• arrange to have your gas and electricity appliances serviced
• if you have moved to a new area register with a doctor immediately and a new dentist or optician as soon as possible.

Make sure you remember to contact the following people and companies:

• gas and electricity at the old and new address (at least two weeks before the move
• water (at least a week before the move
• telephone companies (landline, mobile, and internet) to advise the change of address and the date you want your new number to operate (at least a week before the move). If you're moving locally you may be able to keep your number.
• Your landlord if you're moving out from rented accommodation
• Post office (give at least seven days notice for redirection of your mail)
• Bank or building society and credit card companies
• Benefits agency, pension providers
• Life/private healthcare policy providers
• Insurance company (car, contents, building)
• HM Revenue and Customs
• Doctor, dentist, optician (make sure you have enough medication and prescriptions to last until after the move).
• Driver and Vehicle Agency
• TV licensing centre
• Provider of cable or digital television service (find out if you will still have coverage in your new area)
• subscriptions
• social clubs and societies
• vet
• family and friends.

Renovations and building work

If you're considering doing renovations or building work on your home you need to check if you need planning permission and building control approval.

Find out more about renovating your home in our building control section

Buying your home

If you're considering buying your own home, you'll find lots of useful advice in the buying your home section on the NIHE website

This information includes advice about buying a house privately, buying a house from the NIHE and buying a house using the Co-Ownership Scheme.

Care homes

Care homes provide accommodation, personal care and sometimes nursing care. They are intended for older people whose care and support means they can no longer live independently. However, costs are usually high compared to other housing options.

Before considering moving to a care home, speak to your GP who can refer you to a care manager who will be able to give you advice and assess your need for this type of care. The care manager can also carry out a financial assessment to see if you would be eligible for any financial help with paying costs of a care home. If you have assets (including savings, income, property) of £23,000 or more, you will probably be expected to pay the full cost of the care home yourself.

The value of your home will not be included as assets if the husband or wife of the person moving into the care home remains at home, or if a relative aged 60 or more or a disabled relative remains at home.

Care managers will be able to give you all the information you need and answer any questions you might have.

If you have a complaint about a care home you should first raise the complaint with the care home or the local health and social care trust. If the complaint can't be resolved then it should be directed to the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) for Northern Ireland. RQIA is an independent, non-departmental public body which is responsible for regulating, inspecting and monitoring the standard and quality of health and personal social service provision.

For more information or to search for a care home, visit the RQIA website or contact your local health and social care trust.

Living with family

Moving in with relatives can seem like an attractive option. If you're considering this, it's important for everyone to be honest and realistic in what they expect.

You need to be clear about the level of support that your family can provide for you. What will happen if your care needs increase? If you invest in your relatives' property, or purchase a property jointly, it can cause complications if you then have to be means-tested for assistance with care home fees in the future.

Finally, it's important to make sure that everyone is happy with the idea. If you're planning to invest in a relative's property, or purchase one together, take legal advice and consider having a formal agreement drawn up. This can prevent misunderstandings and ill-feeling later on.

Staying in your own home with support

Help from health and social care - care management

Care management is the process through which people who have very complex needs are given the assistance they need to enable them to decide how best their care needs can be met. This is for people who require a very intensive level of care in the home or a care home placement.

A care manager from the health and social care trust will coordinate a full assessment of your needs by getting information from your doctor, nurse, social worker, occupational therapist and physiotherapist. They will involve you and your family or carers in all decisions and can arrange the care you require as well as provide information on groups in your area that may also be helpful to your particular circumstances. For more information speak to your care worker or GP.

Adaptations and safety equipment

If you're having difficulty with any daily living activities such as getting out of bed, getting washed or getting around your home, an occupational therapist can help you by teaching you easier, safer ways of doing things. They can also suggest and arrange provision of assistive equipment or home adaptations to help you to be independent.

Funding for housing adaptation is determined by who owns your home. If you live in social housing your landlord will complete the works on the recommendation of an occupational therapist. If you live in NIHE accommodation, some adaptations such as handrails may be provided without referral to occupational therapy.

If your home is privately owned or rented, minor adaptations necessary because of a disability may be funded by your local health and social care trust. Major adaptations such as provision of a shower facility, can be accessed via the disabled facilities grant available through the NIHE.

Disabled facilities grant

The disabled facilities grant available through NIHE to homeowners, landlords and private tenants, provides adaptation work to your home if you have difficulty getting around your own home or have a disability. Grants are only considered through referral from an occupational therapist.

For more information on disabled facilities grants, visit the NIHE website

Financial support to live independently

For information about benefits and financial support including housing benefit, rates relief and pensions, visit the benefits and financial support section of the nidirect website

Supporting People

The Supporting People programme provides funding for housing support services for groups of vulnerable people, for example older people living in sheltered or specialist accommodation, to help them live as independently as possible.

Housing support services can include warden services, intercom services, emergency alarms and help with filling in benefit forms. Supporting People does not cover personal or care services.

If you receive housing benefit you won't have to pay for any Supporting People services that your housing association provides.

For more information about Supporting People, contact your housing association or the NIHE.

Housing Support for Older People

Belfast Central Mission's Housing Support for Older People is aimed at people aged 60 years and over living in south and east Belfast. The service helps people to remain living independently in their own homes for as long as possible.

They provide older people with help with home maintenance, home safety and security, help with benefits, and other practical and emotional support. Support can be offered from six weeks to two years depending on the circumstances.

For more information on Housing Support for Older People, phone Catherine Apsley on 028 9067 3471 or visit the Belfast Central Mission website

Upkeep of your home

If you're having difficulty maintaining and paying for the upkeep of your home, there are grants available for repairs or to upgrade your heating system. Find out more in our heating your home section or visit the NIHE website

Your local Housing Executive grants office can help you through the grants process.

General home maintenance advice

• How to protect your home against flooding
• Burst and frozen pipes
• Carbon monoxide
• Damp
• Household rubbish
• Oil leaks or fumes

Housing fact sheet

This fact sheet includes information on a range of housing options, the upkeep of your home and housing rights and benefits.



Download the housing fact sheet (Word - 197KB)