Housing Development Frequently Asked Questions
- What is affordable housing?
- What does social rent mean?
- What does intermediate rent mean?
- How do I apply for housing provided by the Council?
- What does Registered Social Landlord mean?
- Can I buy a house from the Council?
- What is 'Homes in Powys'?
- Why are there no housing developments in my community?
- How do I contact the Housing department in Powys?
What is affordable housing?
Affordable housing is defined by Welsh Government as housing provided to those whose needs are not met by the open market. Affordable housing should meet the needs of eligible households, with rent low enough for those households to afford.
What does social rent mean?
Social rent or Social rented housing, refers to affordable housing provided by the Council and Registered Social Landlords (RSL). Rent levels are set according to Welsh Government's Rent and Service Charge Standard.
What does intermediate rent mean?
Intermediate rent or housing is another category of affordable housing where prices or rents are above those of social rented housing but below market housing prices or rents. Powys County Council does not provide intermediate rent or housing, although you may be able to access this through Tai Teg. Visit their website to find out more: https://taiteg.org.uk/en/
How do I apply for housing provided by the Council?
You can apply to join the common housing register in Powys via the Homes in Powys website: https://www.homesinpowys.org.uk/
What does Registered Social Landlord mean?
Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) are social landlords that own or manage social housing, they must be registered and regulated by the Welsh Government. Most RSLs are Housing Associations.
Can I buy a house from the Council?
No, however there are schemes available to help you purchase your first home. Please visit the Tai Teg website for more information: https://taiteg.org.uk/en/schemes
What is 'Homes in Powys'?
Homes in Powys is a method of applying to join the Common Housing Register online, and provides people with guidance and information regarding the availability of social housing across Powys.
Why are there no housing developments in my community?
The Housing Development Team considers the location of housing developments across Powys based on a number of factors, one of the most important being evidence of housing need within the community and availability of suitable land for development.
We use data from the Powys Common Housing Register to establish housing need across the county, focusing on areas with the greatest housing need and land availability. This also allows us to take into account the type of housing need required in the area, and the land available for development.
The Housing Development Team must consider possible restrictions on gaining planning consent which may prevent or slow residential developments, such as suitable access to the land, drainage constraints and phosphorous levels in the River Wye and Usk. Visit Phosphate affecting Affordable Housing developments to find out more.
How do I contact the Housing department in Powys?
You can contact Housing Services by email at: housing@powys.gov.uk or by telephone: 01597 827464.