Living Well Essex

Housing association are privately-owned, not-for-profit organisations that aim to provide lower-cost social housing. They're independent but they're also government-regulated. Sometimes they're known as registered social landlords or private registered providers of social housing.

Housing associations provide a wide range of housing. Some only own and manage a few properties, while larger ones might own whole estates.

Offering similar types of housing as local councils, some housing associations specialise in particular types of housing; for example, family homes, sheltered accommodation for older people, and accessible homes for people with disabilities.

In most of Essex, you can usually only access housing association properties by applying for accommodation from your local council. 

Eligibility and waiting times will vary from area to area. Most areas will require that you have a 'local connection', which usually means having lived or worked in that area for a certain length of time.

Your local council will provide information on how they work with housing associations:

• Basildon Borough Council
• Braintree District Council
• Brentwood Borough Council
• Castle Point Borough Council
• Chelmsford City Council
• Colchester Borough Council
• Epping Forest District Council
• Harlow District Council
• Maldon District Council
• Rochford District Council
• Tendring District Council
• Uttlesford District Council