Finding somewhere to live

The demand for council housing in Thurrock is far greater than the number of properties we have available. By law, we must give priority housing to those with the greatest need.

For most households the chances of being offered a property by us are extremely low, and you should think about the alternative housing options, below.

Help is available if you are currently homeless or likely to become homeless.

Private rented homes

Unless you have a high priority on the housing waiting list, private renting is the quickest way to get housing locally. Yell.com: Local letting agents is a good place to start looking.

If you have a low income you could apply for housing benefit and local housing allowance to help you pay your rent.

If you have a low income and get housing benefit but you still need to top up your rent, you may be entitled to a discretionary housing payment. This can sometimes also pay for a deposit on a new property or your moving costs, if the move will improve your financial circumstances.

Affordable home ownership

You may be able to get financial help through a government home ownership scheme if you can’t afford to buy a home. Go to GOV.UK: affordable home ownership schemes.

Schemes include:

• Help to Buy: equity loan – a government scheme to help people in England to buy a new-build home

• First Homes – a government scheme supporting first-time buyers by offering new-build homes at least a discount

• Right to Buy – if you're a council tenant, the Right to Buy scheme could help you buy the home you rent with a discount

• Shared Ownership – if you can't afford to buy 100% of a home, you could buy a share of a home instead and pay rent on the rest

You can find out more about these schemes from the government's Own Your Home website.

Search for shared ownership properties through the Share to Buy website.

Registering with other councils

You can apply to go on the housing waiting list of any council in the country, and can be registered on more than one list. Each council has its own rules about who qualifies for their list, and its own policy for prioritising applicants. Most will give higher priority to people who have a local connection with the area.

If you work in an area, or used to live there, or have close relatives living there, you may be added to that area's waiting list.

To register in other parts of the England or Wales, go to: GOV.UK: Apply for council housing.

Housing association properties to rent

We have ‘nomination rights’ with most local housing associations. This means we recommend eligible tenants for a number of their properties when they become available to let. You can bid for these properties online in the same way you would apply for council housing, below.

Applying for council housing

It's important that you read our information before you apply for council housing.

You must use our online form to apply for council housing.