If you need help finding a home, you may be able to join the housing register. This is the list we use to decide who gets council or social housing in Portsmouth.
Apply for social housing
Who can apply
To join the housing register, you must have a housing need. This could include:
- medical problem made worse by where you live now
- living in a home that is too crowded
- being homeless or at risk of losing your home
If you’re from abroad and can’t get public funds, you won’t be able to join the register. But you can still get advice and support with housing issues.
What is the housing register
The register helps us decide who gets homes owned by Portsmouth Homes and other registered housing providers (like housing associations and trusts). We follow rules set out in the Housing Allocation Scheme.
Things to know before you apply
There is huge demand for affordable homes in Portsmouth and demand is higher than supply. Many people are on the register for several years before being offered accommodation. Many more aren’t ever likely to be offered a property.
The properties allocated document shows how properties have been allocated to people and families on the Portsmouth register for the previous month. It lists these by landlord, area, property type, floor level and wait time for each priority housing band. The wait time counts the number of days from a person being given their priority on the list to the start of their tenancy.
How to apply
There isn’t an application form to apply to go on the housing register. Most applications can be assessed over the phone or in person at Housing Needs Advice and Support. We can tell you what happens next, depending on your circumstances.
The housing needs, advice and support team assess applications to join the waiting list:
- Open Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm; Friday 9am to 4pm (no appointment necessary for initial advice)
- Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, PO1 2AX
- 023 9283 4989
- Contact form