PHA owns over 3,600 homes within Penwith – a mixture of flats, houses and bungalows - some of which are designed especially for the elderly or for people with disabilities.
We also have approximately 500 homes in neighbouring areas for which the District Councils have nomination rights. As well as these homes, we also manage nearly 2,000 homes on behalf of Devon and Cornwall Housing Association under the new partnership arrangements.
As homes become vacant or new ones are built we let them to people in the greatest need whilst making best use of the properties.
How do I get housed with PHA?
There are a number of ways to get housed with PHA:-
Through an application to Cornwall Council that works in partnership with PHA
- The housing register page gives further information on how to apply for housing.
Through an exchange with another social housing tenant
Through contact with one of our Market Renting Agents.
We provide some homes at various locations throughout Cornwall under a Market Renting scheme and these homes are let through our Market Renting Agents. Located at:
- Helston
- Penzance
- Reawla at Hayle
- St Austell
The following agents deal with those vacant properties:
- St Austell: Lewis and Co - 01726 75944
- Other areas: NCT – 01736 331122
What if I am homeless?
From April 2010, Cornwall Council is bringing in one scheme to assess the level of housing need within the area.
The Council has written to everyone who was registered on the old District Housing Registers and invited them to re-apply for the new Homechoice Housing Register. Their applications will then be reassessed under the new Homechoice Allocation Policy and placed on the Homechoice Register. All new applications will also be assessed for Homechoice.
The existing nomination scheme will run until the end of March 2010. From April 2010 all Council and Registered Social Landlord vacancies will be advertised and allocated using the county-wide Choice Based Lettings Scheme.
For further information and to apply on-line, please go to www.cornwall.gov.uk. Paper forms can be obtained from area offices or by telephoning 0300 1234 161.
Each area has a number of One Stop Shops where you can go for advice and assistance. Details of where these are located can also be found on the Council's website.
Cornwall HomeChoice is a county wide Affordable Housing Register of people who have a housing need and want to rent social housing or buy their own home in Cornwall.
It is a choice based letting scheme and council and association vacancies will be advertised as being available for letting in our offices and on our website, in the Council One Stop Shops, on their website and in the Saturday edition of the Western Morning News newspaper. We have Local Letting Plans for Roscadghill Parc, Heamoor and the St Clare flats area in Penzance. These have been agreed with the Council following consultation with local residents and stakeholders. Cornwall HomeChoice adverts for vacancies in these areas will refer to the Local Letting Plan.
How have the changes to the structure of local councils affected me?
On 1 April 2009 Cornwall's six borough and district councils joined with Cornwall County Council to become a single council - Cornwall Council. The Council has three main area offices, East, Central and West.
As well as what is happening here in Cornwall, central Government has asked all local housing authorities to set up a Choice Based Lettings Scheme by 2010.
Choice Based Lettings is a way of advertising and allocating social housing so that tenants and housing applicants can easily find out what is available and whether they are eligible to apply for it.
Housing teams from across the county have been working together and have developed an Allocations Policy and Choice Based Lettings Scheme for the letting of affordable homes across Cornwall.
They are very keen to get people's view on this and are carrying out wide consultation about it. To look at and comment upon the draft documents, please click here.
PHA Transfer Register
With the introduction of Cornwall HomeChoice we will no longer hold our own Transfer Register for those PHA tenants who want to move within or to the Penwith area. We have written to everyone on our Transfer list to let them what is happening and to invite them to register with Cornwall Homechoice. Any tenant wanting to transfer must apply to Cornwall HomeChoice and you can do this on-line at www.cornwall.gov.uk. Cornwall Homechoice gives priority according to certain factors and all applicants will be assessed in the same way.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances, we do not usually offer a transfer to tenants who have a probationary tenancy.
Applicants unhappy with decisions made on Transfer offers can appeal using our appeals procedure. To receive an offer of a transfer you should owe a debt to PHA and your current property must pass an inspection to ensure the conditions of tenancy have not been broken.
For more information on how to find a home call 01736 331799 or click on one of the links below:
