Social Housing is the title given to houses owned by the Local Authority (Council) and Housing Associations.  Their properties are maintained by them and have low rents.  The rents are increased slightly every year.

Housing in Cardiff is in very short supply and so it can take quite a long time before any offer of housing is made following application.

Though a person may be successful in being placed on a waiting list it can still take many months before they will be offered accommodation. It is important to emphasise that expectations of being housed quickly are unrealistic.

Recent changes have been made to the waiting lists in Cardiff

We now have one waiting list which contains all the former lists of Housing Associations in Cardiff and the Council waiting list.  This list is called The Common Waiting List.  If you were formerly on a Housing Association waiting list your application will now form part of the Common Waiting List (CWL).  All enquiries relating to your application should now be made to the Council Housing Department on the following telephone number

The first time you ring the Council, it is useful to have the date when you first applied for housing (this is the date on your application form) and so if you applied through one of the Housing Associations, you will need to get this date from them before contacting the Council for the first time.  The telephone number for enquires about your application form is: 029 20 537032 or 029 20 537033

If the Council Housing Department give you a reference number relating to your application you must keep this number safe and use it whenever you contact them.  By giving this number each time you contact them it will enable them to find your details more quickly and easily.

Another important issue to remember:  When filling your application form you must remember how you have spelt the name on the form.  If you give a different spelling of your name when you contact the Council, it will be very difficult to find your housing application information.  It might be a good idea to make a photocopy of your form before handing it in.  When your form is processed and you are given a reference number, write this onto the copy for easy reference. This will make things easier for you and for the Council staff.

Also, ensure you are accurate when quoting your date of birth which was entered onto the form!  Usaing date of birth is another method which can be used to track applications.

SO MANY DELAYS OCCUR BECAUSE OF MIS-SPELLINGS AND INCORRECT DATES OF BIRTH!

There are various types of housing that is available and these are offered according to need. For example, a single person will not be allocated a two bedroomed house. They are more likely to be offered a one bedroomed flat or bedsit which best suits their needs. Houses are normally offered to families. See the websites of the partner Associations for full details

Types of Accommodation Provider

There are various types of housing provider. It may be necessary to try all methods of housing application before achieving success. Examples given here are:

• Private Renting
• Cardiff City Council Housing(Government)
• Housing Associations

Other Temporary Accommodation

These are suitable for single people only. The accommodation would be a single room and facilities such as bathroom and toilet are shared with the other residents.

There is also special accommodation for young, single mothers and their babies and some accommodation for homeless families. These are shown in the table below.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

It is important to know your Housing Rights - Look at this website!  www.housing-rights.info

COMPLAINING

If you feel you have not been treated fairly you should complain.  It is only by highlighting problems within the system that Landlords can ensure improvements in the service.

All Landlords have a Complaints Policy and Procedure and so if you feel you need to complain you should take the following steps:

Speak to your Housing Officer If they cannot resolve your Issue they should give you advice about how to complain.  You can ask for information about their Complaints Procedure.

Alternatively, you can write a letter of complaint (if you cannot write in English, you may use your first spoken language and they will translate the letter and reply in your language).

There are various stages the complaint will go through and if the problem is still not resolved you may go to the official body that investiages complaints made against all social landlords.    www.ombudsman-wales.org.uk or contact them at: Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, 1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae, Pencoed, CF35 5LJ - Telephone 01656 641150

NEIGHBOUR NUISANCE - Is a growing problem......

If you or a member of your family is experiencing harassment from neighbours you should inform your Housing Officer immediately.  Don't wait for the problem to go away.  It is important that a record is made as soon as any problems begin.  Keep a diary of any harassment you receive showing the dates and times.  This could be useful evidence.

Harrassment can take many forms:  Name calling, writing racist or other insulting remarks on property are two forms of harassment.  Racist harassment in particular needs to be reported immediately as RACIST attacks.  If the word RACIST is not used when contacting the Police they will not register it as such and this could delay any action that needs to be taken.