Affordable home ownership

A common driver to entering the home ownership market remains the inability of buyers to purchase on the open market due to lack of affordability and problems obtaining a mortgage. We fund a range of home ownership products that enable people to take their first steps onto the housing ladder or move up the housing ladder, through the Help to Buy programme.

Help to Buy will make the aspirations of home ownership a reality for more people across England. Please visit www.helptobuy.org.uk to find your local Help to Buy agent.

There are the following Help to Buy products:

• Help to Buy equity loan - will be available to eligible purchasers. It offers a maximum 20% equity loan on new build properties up to a purchase price of £600,000.
• Help to Buy shared ownership – tenants share ownership of their home with a housing association, paying a mortgage on the part they own plus affordable rent on the portion they don’t own. In addition to the standard Help to Buy shared ownership product, the Agency also offers two specific versions; Home Ownership for People with Long Term Disabilities (HOLD) and Older Persons Shared Ownership (OPSO).
• Armed Forces Home Ownership Scheme - Members of the armed forces can take out a mortgage, which together with any cash contribution, must cover a minimum of 50% of the purchase price. This is topped up with an equity loan covering between 15% and 50% of the remaining purchase price. The maximum value of a home purchased through the Armed Forces Home Ownership Scheme is £300,000. Visit www.afhos.co.uk for more information.

 If you are interested in owning your own home through any of the routes mentioned above please visit GOV.UK for more information.     

Affordable Home Ownership Data Compendium

As part of ongoing improvement work, the HCA is producing a compendium of data in relation to affordable home ownership. The purpose of this compendium is to attempt to collate the wide range of data currently available into one reference point. This will firstly provide a useful reference for all interested parties, whether in government, providers, mortgage lenders, researchers or other partners, to investigate the sector in depth. Secondly, it will highlight those areas where there is a lack of data, and will act as a call to providers and others to add their own findings. The compendium will be updated regularly.

The compendium includes data from a number of sources, covering key areas including demand and applications, sales, buyers, mortgages and post sales activities.

Data Compendium - June 2011 (PDF - 597KB)
Data Compendium - Autumn 2010 (PDF - 313KB)

Shared Ownership Joint Guidance

Jointly produced by HCA, CML and NHF providing information for staff and professionals working in shared ownership on a range of issues.

Shared Ownership Joint Guidance (PDF - 466KB) - updated November 2012

Service charge loans

The Housing (Service Charge Loans) Regulations 1992 came into force on 17 August 1992. They state that, provided certain conditions are met, some leaseholders have the right to request a loan from the Homes and Communities Agency towards the cost of service charges for major repairs.

• The Housing (Service Charge Loans) Regulations 1992 - PDF (51 KB)