Housing associations (also known as registered social landlords) provide affordable housing to those who need it, either from their own housing register or by nomination from the Council. Although the Council no longer own housing stock within Bridgend county borough, lettings may be offered to people when nominated by Bridgend Council.

If you are thinking of applying for housing, you should consider the following:

• Where you would like to live; are there the size and type of properties in those areas?
• How long will you have to wait for a property?
• Are there any other options that you can consider?

Did you know?

There are over 2000 people on the Council's housing register and we receive around 140 applications a month. But only an estimated 400 to 500 housing association properties become available each year.

I have applied - how long will I have to wait?

People are often surprised at how few properties the housing associations have available to let, and how long the waiting list is. The Waiting Time Calculator provides information to help people decide whether renting from a housing association is the right option for them. The Waiting Time Calculator includes details of:

• Where the housing association properties are
• The number of properties allocated in areas of the county borough
• The number of people waiting to be housed in that area
• An estimated waiting time (if you know how many points you have)

I haven't applied yet - what are my options?

You can use the Waiting Time Calculator for an idea of the availability of properties in different areas of the county borough and how many people are waiting.

Due to the shortage of housing association properties, we cannot offer everyone who applies to us a home from the waiting list.

As the demand for accommodation is high and waiting times can be long, you may want to consider:

• Renting in the private sector
• Affordable homes for sale
• Swapping your home with another council or housing association tenant (if you are already a tenant of a council or housing association)
• Widening your areas of choice

Applying directly to the Council’s housing register

To apply to the Council’s housing register you can either download the application form here, or if you would prefer, call into the Council’s Customer Service Centre where you can obtain an application form in person. Alternatively, by telephoning 01656 643512 or 01656 643546 an application form can be sent to you through the post, or you can also email your request to housing@bridgend.gov.uk. Applying directly to the Council’s housing register does not automatically register you with any other housing associations within the borough. At present you will need to fill in a separate application form for each housing association’s list.

Applying directly to a housing association

There are a number of housing associations who rent properties within Bridgend. You will need to contact them for an application form. They have different types of properties in a variety of locations and some have more properties than others. A variety of factors e.g. number in household, condition of current home etc will determine your priority on their lists. At present you will need to fill in a separate application form for each housing association’s list.

Who are the main housing associations operating in Bridgend?

The main housing associations operating in Bridgend are:

Hafod Housing Association

Linc Cymru Housing Association

Valleys to Coast (V2C) Housing Association

Wales & West Housing Association

Are you currently a council or housing association tenant?

If you are a current council or housing association tenant and you would like to move, you can apply for a transfer or a mutual exchange.

Bridgend uses the national mutual exchange service provided by Homeswapper. It is an internet based national scheme and you can find another social housing tenant to swap homes with, in or outside Bridgend. More information on how the Homeswapper scheme works can be found at www.homeswapper.co.uk.