Affordable housing

Find out what affordable housing is, what related products there are and how it's delivered.

Affordable housing is for people who are unable to rent or buy on the open market.

Apply for affordable housing

To apply for affordable housing go to the HomeChoice website (housing register).

What does it include?

Homes to rent at:

  • affordable rents
  • social rents

Homes to buy:

  • affordable home ownership

Homes for older people:

  • sheltered housing for rent
  • extra care housing for rent
  • extra care affordable home ownership

For developers and home builders looking to work with us to develop affordable housing options please see the relevant page in this section.

Affordable housing is for people who are unable to afford to rent or buy on the open market. There are different types of affordable housing schemes to suit people’s needs.

To rent

  • Affordable Rent – rent set at up to 80% of the local market rent, tenancies can be fixed term.
  • Social rent – housing for rent based on a national rent formula, generally lower than Affordable Rent.
  • Both the above are let through the local authority or a housing association.

To buy

Go to the Help to Buy South website or phone 0800 4561188. The schemes currently being offered are:

  • Help to Buy Shared Ownership
  • Help to Buy Equity Loan
  • Help to Buy Rental schemes – Intermediate rent / Rent to Buy

For older households 

  • Sheltered housing – housing for older people, access is via HomeChoice Bristol website (housing register).
  • Extra care housing for rent – sheltered housing with increased care and support.
  • Extra care affordable home ownership – sheltered housing with increased care and support to buy.  See our extra care housing page for both these extra care options.
  • Retirement housing – see our extra care housing page.

Who develops and provides affordable homes?

We work with our neighbouring councils, housing associations and private home builders to make affordable homes available.  This is known as the HomesWest partnership.

Housing associations (also known as registered providers)

These are not for profit organisations that work with us to develop and manage affordable homes for rent and shared ownership.

Landlord Services

Our Landlord Services also have a development programme. These new homes plus any existing homes which become available are let through HomeChoice Bristol.

For details of local housing associations, Landlord Services and the properties they rent go to the HomeChoice Bristol website.

You can apply to bid for properties from all providers with just one application.

How do we help develop new affordable homes?

There are a number of ways, mainly:

  • Working with the Homes and Communities Agency and Registered Providers to develop the Affordable Housing Programme
  • We are also responsible for negotiating new affordable homes through the planning system on large new developments in the city
  • Affordable Housing Framework – 2015-2020

A new Affordable Housing Delivery Plan is being developed to increase the number of homes produced to up to 1,000 in the year 2016/17.