General needs housing


Springboard has a range of general needs accommodation mainly located throughout East London, Essex and Hertfordshire.

As with most housing associations that operate in these areas, we no longer accept applications directly from the public. So if you are interested in renting a Springboard home, you need to register with your local council. In some exceptional cases you can apply to us directly, for example where we find the demand for a property is low. We will advertise any of these vacancies on our website and often in the local press.


Local council nomination
When you contact your local council they will assess your needs and decide if they can accept you for housing. You have to apply to the local council where you live. Some councils will however allow you to apply if you work in their area.


If you are nominated to us, a member of our staff will contact you and let you know what accommodation we have available that is suited to your needs. Our rents are affordable to those on low incomes.


Choice based lettings
Choice based lettings is a system that lets you choose the property that you would like to live in rather than someone else choosing it for you.


The boroughs of Newham, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Havering and Barking and Dagenham all operate a choice based lettings system which is run by the 'East London Lettings Company' (ELLC).


ELLC advertises affordable rented housing that is available in all of these areas. If you are on the housing register with one of these councils, and your registration is not deferred, you can bid for a property that matches your registration category and your property needs. If you are unsure, your council will be able to tell you what your registration category is.


For more information you can visit the ELLC website at: www.ellcchoicehomes.org.uk

Other councils that operate a choice based lettings scheme in areas where we have accommodation include:

Low cost home ownership options

Part buy/Part rent (formerly shared ownership) is a more affordable alternative to buying a property outright. It is designed to assist first time buyers who are unable to afford a mortgage or a property on the open market. The buyer purchases a share in the ownership usually using a mortgage and pays rent to the housing association for the share in the property which they have not purchased. Housing provided includes newly built and refurbished homes as well as homes being re-sold by existing shared owners. Another part of Genesis Housing Group specialises in this type of housing. You can get more information from by visiting their website at www.genesishomes.org.uk


Helping you buy a home


The Government has introduced a range of low-cost home ownership products that help first-time buyers get a foot on the property ladder. These products are known as HomeBuy.


There are three parts to the HomeBuy scheme:

  • New Build HomeBuy - where you share ownership of your home with a housing association;
  • Open Market HomeBuy - where you part-buy a property and get a loan from a housing association for the rest; and
  • Social HomeBuy - where housing association and local authority tenants are helped to buy their current home.

Springboard is taking part in the Social HomeBuy scheme. If you would like more information please contact Nicola Hawksworth on 020 8548 2511 or email nhawksworth@springboardha.org.uk


For the other schemes, your local HomeBuy agent will be able to register your interest and let you know what will be coming available. A list of the agents is detailed below.

For more information on any of these schemes please visit: Housing Corporation Online


HomeBuy agents

  • East London
    Metroplitan Housing Group
    0845 230 8099
  • Hertfordshire
    Aldwyck Housing Association
    01582 869 447
  • South East London
    Tower Homes
    0845 230 8099
  • Surrey
    Thames Valley Housing Association
    0845 600 6699
  • Essex
    Moat
    07002 662 846
  • Sussex
    Moat
    07002 662 846