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 the District Councils that work in partnership with PHA
- see below for details of the councils that work with PHA. Contact the council for details of 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. These are located in Helston, Penzance, Reawla at Hayle and 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?
The local council areas use different schemes for assessing the level of housing need within their area.
Penwith District Council - West Cornwall Affordable Housing Register
- Housing Advice: 01736 336869 or 362341
Kerrier District Council - West Cornwall Affordable Housing Register
- Housing Advice: 01209 614008 or 614183
Carrick District Council - Carrick Housing Choice
- Housing Advice: 01872 224400
Restormel Borough Council - Homefinder Direct
- Housing Advice: 01872 224400
North Cornwall District Council - Homefinder Direct
- Housing Advice: 01208 893444
Caradon District Council - Homefinder Direct
- Housing Advice: 01579 341100
Application forms and further information about your local area Housing Register can be downloaded from these websites.
The West Cornwall Affordable Housing Register is a record of people who have a housing need and want to rent social housing or buy their own home in Penwith and Kerrier
The Carrick Housing Choice Register is for those people with a housing need who want to rent social housing in the Carrick district.
Restormel, Caradon and North Cornwall all use Homefinder Direct which lets you apply for a home of your choice instead of waiting for an offer that someone else thinks is suitable. The vacant properties are advertised every fortnight in all the local newspapers covering these areas and also on the Homefinder direct website www.homefinderdirect.org.uk
PHA transfer register
We hold our own Transfer register for those PHA tenants who want to move within or to the Penwith area. The same banding system is used to prioritise Transfer applications as is used for the West Cornwall Affordable Housing Register.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances we do not usually offer a transfer to tenants who have not lived at their current address for at least a year and who have a probationary tenancy
Transfers made on one or more of the following grounds will be placed in a higher band:
- under-occupation especially by elderly tenants
- overcrowding where not caused deliberately (moving lodgers in etc)
- confirmed health, mobility or social reasons
- management reasons where the transfer would be to the benefit of the association
- job requirements where confirmed by the employer
- living in an upstairs flat with young children (especially those under 10)
- tenants living separately who wish to live together
Priority will be given to the first four above. Applicants unhappy with decisions made on any of the above can appeal using our appeals procedure. Any offer of a transfer will be subject to you not owing a debt to PHA and to your current property passing an inspection to ensure the conditions of tenancy have not been broken.
There is more information below on how to find a home:
