Hackney
Welcome to the Hackney page on the East London Lettings company website.
Important Note for Hackney Customers:
Following a cyberattack on the Council's servers, please can you ensure your contact details: telephone number, email and current address are up to date on ELLC.
An officer from the Lettings Team will call you directly during the nominations process for a property you have placed a bid on.
You may be overlooked or bypassed for a property if an officer is unable to make contact with you.
The housing crisis in Hackney
Due to the increased demand for council housing in Hackney, the vast majority of people who are on the housing register may never receive social housing property.
We strongly recommend that you consider all alternative housing options. For most people, the most realistic option is to rent in the private sector.
See housing options and advice for further information on how you can find settled housing.
How long do people wait before receiving a property through bidding?
Below are the minimum lengths of time you can expect to wait before receiving a social housing property from when you join the housing register.
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Band |
1 bed |
2 bed |
3 bed |
4+ bed |
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Urgent |
1 year |
1 year |
2 years |
9 years |
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Homeless/Priority |
4 years |
12 years |
9 years |
15 years |
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General |
7 years |
19 years |
26 years |
28 years |
*figures based on someone joining the register on 13/02/2020
Waiting Time Calculator
If you have a bidding number you can find an estimate of the minimum time you will wait on the register before receiving a social property.
Use the waiting time calculator by visiting this page
How to bid
Anyone with an active application on the housing register/transfer list can bid for a property when you receive your bidding number.
Bidding opens each week at 00:01AM on Fridays and closes the following Monday at 23:59PM.
Here is how to bid:
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click on the ‘Log in’ tab at the top of this page and enter your housing registration number and date of birth
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browse available properties
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check your queue position by clicking on “show queue position”
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to bid for a property, go to the property advert and click on ‘apply’
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check what you have bid on and change your bids anytime before midnight on Monday
Conditions for bidding:
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you must have your bidding number to bid
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you can only bid on one property a week
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you can only bid for the number of bedrooms we have assessed you need (or one bedroom less if the landlord is Hackney)
How to bid successfully
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Ensure you do not have any rent arrears, otherwise you will not be put forward for a property if you successfully bid for secure accommodation
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Bid for properties on higher floors. Ground and lower floor properties are in high demand and are allocated for those who have been assessed for low level access to their property
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Review your bids on Monday evenings to find out how likely you are to be shortlisted for a property. If it doesn’t look likely, you can move your bid to another property which you think will give you a greater chance of success. You can do this anytime before 11:59PM on Monday evenings
How we decide the successful bids
When bidding closes at midnight on Monday, we will have a computer-generated list of all the bidders for each property. The successful bidder will be the person in the highest band with the earliest date in that band. We then check to confirm you are eligible.
Following the checks, the landlord who is either Hackney Housing or the Housing Association will contact the bidders who have been shortlisted and invite them to a viewing.
How will I know if my bid was successful?
The landlord of the property (Hackney Housing or the Housing Association) will contact you in approximately 3 to 5 days. Please make sure your contact details are up to date i.e. your mobile number and email address. Please s of any changes.
The top 3 or 5 bidders may be invited to view the property at the same time. This is called a ‘multiple viewing.’
The officer, conducting the viewing, will advise you of your position before the viewing.
The person in position 1 will be offered the property first. If it is refused, it will be offered to the next person on the list.
Will you let me know about my bid if I’m unsuccessful?
Unfortunately, no – as there are too many of bids every week.
You can view your final bidding position on the web page by logging in and entering your bidding number and date of birth.
I was the top bidder, why wasn’t I successful?
You may not have been successful if you do not meet all of the eligibility and qualifying criteria.
Priority for ground floor and first floor properties with lifts are allocated to residents assessed as needing them, if they are in the same band as the highest bidders.
For more information on Allocation Guidance please click here
*subject to change depending on individual household composition
** Due to the sparsity of social housing Hackney Housing allows households to overcrowd by 1 and place bids for 1 bedroom less e.g households assessed as a needing 6 rooms can bid for a Hackney Housing 5 bedroom property, households assessed as needing 7 rooms can bid for a 6 bedroom property
Please note: Housing Associations/Registered providers do not overcrowd.
Discretionary crisis support scheme - 4 min read
We understand there are times when residents suffer sudden financial shocks, face unexpected costs and require emergency help.
To meet this need, we’ve set up the Hackney Discretionary Crisis Support Scheme (HDCSS) which provides one off payments for emergencies or items that are difficult to budget for, and are not covered by normal social security benefits.
Currently due to the coronavirus pandemic more residents have had their income affected, are facing financial hardship, and need support to meet their immediate needs.
In response the Council have increased the HDCSS budget by an additional £500,000 to help those residents impacted by coronavirus, and recognise that due to the unprecedented impact of coronavirus residents might need support with a wider range of costs and items than usual
The main types of help the scheme covers are listed on this page. However we recognise individual support needs vary, and the list is not meant to be exclusive. Just because an item is not listed below does not mean the request will be refused if the item is reasonably required to meet imminent need.
We consider all requests made on an individual basis. So if you require help with something not listed below, please still get in touch. We may be able to help you, or direct you to other sources of assistance to meet your need.
The HDCSS scheme broadly offers support for the following:
Help with basic living needs
this would include small one off awards to cover items necessary for day to day living such as:
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food and essential household items, including items for personal care and hygiene
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utilities including gas, and electricity reconnection
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help with essential clothing and footwear
Help with digital access and support
This would cover items that help people keep contact with essential services and support networks, given that public offices are closed, and public computer access is restricted. We can therefore help with essential costs items like:
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mobile phone top ups including data costs
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maintaining phone, broadband and internet access
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replacing essential computer equipment where absolutely necessary
Help with emergency travel
This would include travel costs for a close family funeral, or help with transport to access essential services.
Help with community assistance
We can help with items to help you remain in your home or move into a new home such as:
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essential appliances and white goods such as a Cooker, fridge, freezer or washing machine.
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bedding, mattresses and furniture,
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in some cases floor coverings like lino and carpets
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rent in advance and deposits for new tenancies where this is not met by discretionary hardship payments
During the coronavirus outbreak other items will be considered on the basis of need as required where they are deemed essential.
Awards are normally only made in exceptional circumstances, for example where there is a danger to the health and or well being of the applicant, and the applicant has few resources to deal with the crisis.
All requests for help will be considered based on the circumstances behind the application, the household income and savings, and other specialist care and/or support that may be available.
Funding for the scheme is fixed and cannot be exceeded. Once all the money available has been spent no application can be accepted regardless of the merits involved. Households in the greatest need will be prioritised for awards.
If you have claimed a DWP benefit and are waiting for a payment, you should not apply for Hackney discretionary crisis support. You should first go to your local JobCentre Plus and ask to apply for a short term benefit advance.
Who can apply?
The scheme is open to everyone, apart from:
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people under 16
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people who are subject to immigration control, including asylum seekers, people who have been refused leave to remain and those with no recourse to public funds
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people who have their daily living needs provided for them, i.e. a person in hospital or a care home, a prisoner, a member of a religious order, a person in relevant education, unless they are about to leave and return to the local community
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applications from full time students/student households will only be accepted in emergency cases and/or because of a disaster
How to apply
If you need advice and guidance on how to apply to the Hackney discretionary crisis support scheme please call our customer service line on 0208 356 3000 and ask to apply for discretionary crisis support. Our customer service team will help you through the process and are able to take your details over the phone.
To contact us
Kiosks and free computer access
You can get assistance with bidding at the following places:
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Council Locations |
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Other Locations |
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Contact us by phone or email
If you require assistance with bidding or are unable to place a bid for a property please call the Contact Centre on 0208 356 2135 who can place a bid on your behalf or support you in placing a bid.
You can also place a bid via our automated phone line 08456 504 125 or via text on 07781 486 526 or find more information here Website http://www.hackney.gov.uk/hackneychoice.htm (this will open a new page)