Buying a home

If you would like to buy a home there are a number of government schemes, that you may be eligible for, which could help you buy a home.

These include:

Voluntary Right to Buy
Preserved Right to Buy
Right to Acquire
Shared ownership

Please find below further details about each scheme, along with eligibility criteria.

Voluntary Right to Buy pilot

In August 2018, the government launched a Voluntary Right to Buy regional pilot for Housing Associations in the Midlands, which has now closed.

Under this VRTB pilot scheme, the longer a customer had been a tenant, the bigger the discount they may get off the market value of a property – up to a maximum discount of £80,900 or 70% of the value, whichever is the lower.

At the launch of the VRTB pilot, customers were asked to apply for a Unique Reference Number (URN) by entering a ballot on the Government’s Digital Gateway website - www.midlands.righttobuy.gov.uk. Unfortunately, this ballot is now closed. Customers who were succesful in the Digital Gateway ballot will be issued with an email confirming their URN number. If you were successful and would like to complete our online VRTB application form please use the link at the bottom of this page.

Buying a house

Discounts to purchase a house start at 35% for 3-5 years’ tenancy. Add 1% for each extra year of tenancy, after 5 years, up to 70% or the cash maximum, whichever is lower. For example 10 years’ tenancy = 40% discount).

Buying a flat

Discounts to purchase a flat start at 50% for 3-5 years’ tenancy. Add 2% for each extra year of tenancy up to 70% or the cash maximum, whichever is lower. For example 10 years’ tenancy = 60%.

Property and tenant eligibility

To be able to purchase your current home both you and your property need to meet eligibility criteria, full details can be found in our Voluntary Right to Buy policy below. Should you be eligible, as a tenant, to purchase your home, but your home is not eligible we would look to make you a reasonable alternative offer to purchase another eligible property, please see the Portability policy below for further details.

Your right to appeal

If you have been allocated a URN from the government and subsequently think we have made a mistake in deciding your eligibility for VRTB you have the right to appeal. Please see our appeal process below and the form which you need to complete and return to us.

Attachment	Size
Voluntary Right to Buy Policy.pdf	203.77 KB
Voluntary Right to Buy Portability Policy.pdf	168.69 KB
Voluntary Right to Buy Appeal Process.pdf	134.29 KB
Voluntary Right to Buy Appeal Form.docx	58.44 KB

Eligibility criteria

The main eligibility criteria for the voluntary right to buy pilot scheme:

• You need to have been a housing association tenant for at least 3 years.
• You should not have any outstanding rent arrears or legal action against you.
• You should not be eligible for the Preserved Right to Buy.

You can also find out more about the Voluntary Right to Buy pilot by visiting the Government website .

If you have received your URN and would like to make a Voluntary Right to Buy application, please visit our applying for voluntary right to buy page by using the link below:

Preserved Right to Buy

If you were a secure council tenant and were living in your home when it was transferred from your council to another landlord, like a housing association, then you may have a Preserved Right to Buy.

Staffordshire customers
If your home used to be owned by South Staffordshire Council, transferred to South Staffordshire Housing Association (SSHA) while you were living in it and you have remained a tenant of SSHA without any breaks, you may qualify for the preserved right to buy.

Shropshire customers
If your home used to be owned by the Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council, transferred to Severnside Housing while you were living in it and you have remained a tenant of Severnside without any breaks, you may qualify for the preserved right to buy.

As of 6 April 2018 the maximum Preserved Right to Buy discount limit across England is £80,900. The discount increases every April in line with Consumer Price Index (CPI).

There are a number of exceptions to you exercising your right to buy your home, as follows:

If your home is designed or has been adapted for the elderly or disabled.
If you live in sheltered housing where services are provided.
Your home is provided as part of your job.
If you have legal problems with debt.
The courts have made a possession order for you to leave your home.
Your home is to be demolished.

You can find out more about Preserved Right to Buy by visiting the Government website.

If you wish to apply to buy your home under a Preserved Right to Buy please call your local customer services team:

Severnside, Shropshire 0300 300 0059
SSHA, Staffordshire 01785 312000

Right to Acquire

If you don’t have a Preserved Right to Buy, you may still be able to purchase your property, at a smaller discount, under another scheme called Right to Acquire. Discounts vary, depending on where you live.

You can apply to buy your housing association home if you’ve had a public sector landlord for 3 years. These landlords include:

Housing associations
Councils
Armed services
NHS trusts and foundation trusts

You don’t have the Right to Acquire your home if:

You have not been a public sector tenant or tenant of Severnside or SSHA for 3 consecutive years.
You do not live in a property that was acquired by Severnside or SSHA after 1 April 1997, which was built or purchased with public funds.
Your property is in an exempt area.
A Court has ordered you to leave your home.
You are being made bankrupt.

You can find out more about Right to Acquire by visiting the Government website.

If you wish to apply to buy your home under Right to Acquire please call your local customer services team:

Severnside, Shropshire 0300 300 0059
SSHA, Staffordshire 01785 312000

Shared Ownership

Shared ownership can offer you the opportunity to step onto the housing ladder as it’s an easier, more affordable way to own your own home.

Aimed at first-time buyers shared ownership can help people, who are unable to afford to buy a home at full market value. It is also known as ‘part-buy, part-rent’.

To find out more about shared ownership and view properties we have for sale, please visit www.severnhomes.co.uk. Severn Homes is a member of the Housing Plus Group, who sell and manage our shared ownership homes. They also sell homes on the open market.

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