key worker accommodation

What is Key Worker Living?

Key Worker Living is a government led initiative designed to assist front line key workers particularly in community safety, health and education sectors, whose services are essential to local communities and who need to live within a reasonable "travel to work" distance.

The initiative is targeted at those areas where there are clear recruitment and / or retention difficulties, linked to the cost of housing.

If you are a key worker you may have a wide range of schemes available to you, depending on your needs.

• New Homes To Buy – brand new homes to buy on a part buy/part rent basis – either in a scheme that is exclusively for key workers or you could purchase a property as a local applicant.
• New Homes To Rent – at a rent that is lower than the market rent.
• Open market Homebuy Scheme – choose a property on the open market, purchase a 75% share and receive an equity loan for the remaining 25% share, 50% of this will be from the HomeBuy agent (see below) and 50% from your mortgage lender.

Who are Key Workers?

If you think you are a key worker, you should check your job title against an upto date eligibility list, as this is constantly evolving. It includes:

• Health workers (NHS staff including Social Workers etc)
• Teachers, including FE teachers
• Prison Officers and some Prison Service staff
• Probation Officers, Senior Probation Officers and Probation Service Officers
• Local Authority Social Workers
• Local Authority Occupational Therapists
• Local Authority Educational Psychologists
• Metropolitan Police

The detailed eligibility for each key worker group may change over time depending on the take up of the schemes. Funding is restricted and schemes are prioritised. Full details and eligibility criteria need to be checked with a HomeBuy Agent.

Who or What are HomeBuy Agents?

To provide greater clarity about all the options available, the Government has appointed ‘HomeBuy Agents’ across London and the South East to become 'one-stop shops' for key workers and local applicants. They will be able to confirm the eligibility of key worker status and provide information on the range of options available.

Who is my HomeBuy Agent and how do I get in touch with them?

If you work in London,

• Phone 0845 600 6699 (check this number)
• Via the following Web site http://www.housingoptions.co.uk
• Speak to your current or prospective employer

You can always contact us and we will assist you. If you work elsewhere then please contact us for details of your HomeBuy agent.

What does Broomleigh do for Key Workers?

Broomleigh has a number of key worker rented and shared ownership schemes available now or in development.

Click here to see properties available now or shortly.

Other features of Key Worker Living

If you purchase a property under Key Worker Living, there are "clawback" arrangements in place.

Upon sale or transfer of the property or within five years of leaving a qualifying form of employment, the remaining share not owned by you must be purchased or the property sold.
The clawback rules do not apply under the following circumstances:

• Retirement
• Redundancy
• Leave with employer's permission, for health reasons validated by a health professional (e.g. early retirement on health grounds, dismissal on health grounds)
• Death in service (when it would become a matter for probate)
• Career break of up to 12 months with employer’s permission. Can be extended to maximum of three years in exceptional circumstances