What is a housing association?

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• What is a housing association?

Housing associations are non-profit-making organisations providing homes for people who need them. They are run by voluntary committees with paid staff carrying out the day to day running of the association.

Housing associations are independent from the Council and, unless the Council has the right to select the tenant, have their own rules for selecting tenants. The size, type and location of properties varies from one association to another, and many have properties in more than one borough. Most do not operate their own housing register and rely on the Council to select their tenants. This is known as a ‘nomination’.

Some housing associations provide homes that are part-rent, part-buy. This is known as shared ownership. If you would like more information about shared ownership, please phone the Housing Contact Centre on 020 8547 5003 and ask for the Home Ownership Team.