Key Worker housing

Key Worker housing is provided for essential public sector workers such as NHS staff, police and teachers.

Key Worker Housing comprises:

• intermediate rented properties

• shared ownership - part buy/part rent. This is a way onto the "property ladder" where applicants may buy a share of a property and pay a modest rent. Should their circumstances change, applicants may at a later date wish to buy a larger proportion of the property until they have greater or complete ownership.

• First Time Buyers’ Initiative (FTBI) is a 'home buy' loan that enables first-time buyers to purchase a share in a house or an apartment. 

• rooms within cluster flats (i.e. shared kitchen and bathroom, no lounge)
• rooms with own bathroom and shared kitchen
• rooms with own kitchenette and shared bathroom
• studios, one-bed, two-bed flats (nominations required)

Rent for rooms would be approximately £125 – £165 per week (inclusive of utility bills and council tax). Rent for flats would be greater but would be favourable compared to market rates for similar properties.

In most cases, rent for rooms in shared accommodation would include utility bills and council tax. For self-contained accommodation, council tax and bills are generally additional to the rent.

Eligibility criteria vary widely from organisation to organisation. Some providers would consider any member of NHS staff eligible while, for example, others might only accept clinical staff. We recommend you enquire about eligibility criteria before making your application.

If you are interested in key worker housing, please contact the Accommodation Bureau for a list of housing organisations to whom we can refer you. We are also able to nominate staff to the Peabody Trust should intermediate rented properties (generally self-contained) be available.