Home ownership

There are two schemes available to help people buy a home.

Right to Buy scheme

If you rent your home from Medway Council and are a secure tenant, having lived in your home for at least two years, you have the right to buy the home you are living in at a discount. The amount of discount you are entitled to depends on how long you have been a qualifying tenant. Phone the Housing Finance Section on the number below for details of this scheme.

Shared ownership

If you would like to own your own home but cannot afford to buy on the open market, shared ownership could be for you. (You will have sole occupancy rights - you do not have to share your home with anyone else).

Shared ownership allows you to buy a share of a property from a housing association and pay rent for the remainder. Your monthly outgoings will be made up of repayments on any mortgage you have taken out and rent on the part of the property retained by the housing association. Later, as you can afford it, you can increase the share you are buying until you own the whole property.

Find out more about how shared ownership works.

Want to get on the property ladder?

Moat Housing Group (www.moat.co.uk/MoatWeb/Homebuy) can provide information about affordable housing opportunities available locally under the government's Homebuy scheme.

This includes:

• open market HomeBuy;
• new build HomeBuy;
• First Time Buyers initiative;
• resales and discounted rent on new build properties for key workers;

Further information is also available at www.homebuy.co.uk or by calling Moat on 07002 662846.

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