ForHousing understands that, for a variety of reasons, you may need to move to another home. Reasons may include:

Overcrowding:

Your family may have grown meaning you need more space.

Under occupation:

Your children may have moved into homes of their own and you may want to downsize.

Medical reasons:

You may have developed a condition which means you need a home that is all on one level, has a wet room or has staff on site to assist you.

ForHousing aims to provide support and signposting to enable tenants to access ways to move to another home. This includes:

Choice Based Lettings (CBL) schemes allow you to search for, apply for and bid for social rented properties in your area where you have been assessed by the Local Authority to have a housing need. Most housing associations in an area advertise their empty properties through the local CBL scheme so you only have to apply once. Each area has their own scheme. For support in Knowsley, click here. For support in Oldham, click here. For support in Fylde, click here.

A mutual exchange is where you agree to swap your home with another social housing tenant. This does not have to be someone who has the same landlord, you can swap homes with any other council tenant or housing association tenant that lives anywhere in the UK. There is a list of criteria that you must meet, and both landlords must agree to the swap taking place. More information can be found on HomeSwapper and House Exchange.

ForHousing considers internal transfers to be required only in exceptional circumstances, due to significant issues at the current property, and where all other solutions have been exhausted.

If you are approved for an internal transfer, you will not have to be registered on the local CBL system or make bids though we may still advise you to do this as well.

Approval will be based on individual circumstances; however, the following are some circumstances where an internal transfer may be approved:

• Discharge from hospital where the existing home is unsuitable
• An urgent need for supported or adapted accommodation
• A serious fire causing significant structural damage

Supporting documentation will be required from partner agencies (Police, GP, Hospital etc)

If you feel you may qualify for an internal transfer, you should discuss this with your Neighbourhood Officer. They will be able to tell you whether you may qualify.

As we do not hold properties empty, even if you are approved for an internal transfer, it may be up to 12 months before an alternative home can be offered.

If you feel you need rehousing quickly or need to access emergency accommodation, for example where there is an immediate threat that puts you or your home at risk we would always advise that you contact your local council’s housing options team for support and assessment.

Where an internal transfer is approved, one offer of a suitable alternative home will be made, which will be based upon the information that you provide to us. So, it is important that you make sure that the information we have about your circumstances and needs is up to date.