Affordable Housing - Developments

Information about affordable housing developments in Solihull

Solihull Council is committed to providing more affordable housing to meet local housing needs. The following developments have planning permission or are on site now. Further schemes will be added to the schedule as they receive planning permission.

The Council works closely with housing associations to deliver a range of affordable housing across the Borough. Housing association contact details are provided at the foot of this schedule.

Updated May 2009

Contacts and Further Details

For Rented properties

Rented properties will be advertised through the Solihull Home Options scheme, along with available Council properties. 

You should therefore contact Solihull Community Housing on 0121 717 1515 or email info@solihullcommunityhousing.org.uk to apply to go on the Housing Register. Direct contact can also be made to the housing association.

For New Build HomeBuy and Shared Ownership properties

The housing association should be contacted directly. They will send you further details and a form to be completed so that they can assess your eligibility and what you can afford.

New Build HomeBuy and Shared Ownership are particularly useful to those with a regular income, but who cannot afford to purchase a home in Solihull. You buy a percentage of the property (normally between 25% and 75%) with the rest being owned by the housing association. The housing association will charge rent on the share that it owns. Over time it is possible to buy further shares in the property and own it outright.

For further information on New Build Home Buy and Shared Ownership opportunities please use the contact details that are shown below:

• Bromford - 0845 60 50 603;
• Harden - 01527 556400; 
• Waterloo - 0121 362 8989;
• Midland Heart - 0800 44 55 67;

Anchor Point:homebuyFor Open Market HomeBuy

Open Market HomeBuy is a low-cost government-backed home-ownership programme designed to help households who are not able to afford to buy a suitable home in an area where they live or work without assistance. 

The Open Market HomeBuy scheme is available through Orbit First Step. To qualify for this scheme you must be on the Council's Housing Register. You can join the Housing Register by contacting Solihull Community Housing on 0121 717 1515 or email info@solihullcommunityhousing.org.uk. 

With Open Market HomeBuy, once approved by Orbit First Step, a person can choose to buy a property for sale on the open market.

There are two Open Market HomeBuy products.

1. Ownhome: You borrow between 20% and 40% of the property price through an equity loan. The remainder is funded through a conventional mortgage with The Co-operative Bank. You pay nothing on the equity loan for the first five years. After five years you pay a fixed rate of 1.75% interest on the equity loan each year. After a further five years this will increase to a fixed rate of 3.75% a year.

2. MyChoiceHomeBuy: You borrow between 15% and 50% of the property price through an equity loan. Unlike the Ownhome scheme, you can obtain a mortgage from any approved high street lender. You pay a monthly interest charge on the equity loan based on up to 1.75% a year, which would then increase by the Retail Price Index plus 1% each year.

Please note that funding for the MyChoice HomeBuy product has been fully allocated for the West Midlands for the current year. If you are interested in this scheme for next year please contact the HomeBuy agent, Orbit First Step, from early 2010.

A new scheme is available from January  2009 called HomeBuy Direct . This aims to help first time buyers into affordable home ownership.  The scheme will provide opportunities to purchase properties in Central and North Solihull.

To find out more information contact the Homebuy Agents for Solihull , Orbit First Step on 0345 850 20 50

 

Contact Details

Telephone: 0121 704 8486
Email: housingstrategy@solihull.gov.uk