10 Steps to apply for your own home

Making an application to register with your Local Council

 

How can I get started?

The first step is to apply to place your name on the Local Council housing list, of the area in which you would like to live. Being registered on the Council Housing List makes it possible for you to be offered a home by the Council, by a Voluntary Housing Association, by a Housing Co operative and also to make application for Rental Supplement for private rented accommodation through the HSE

1. 1STEP 1: Local Council: Contact the relevant City or County Council in the area in which you would like to live. You must liase with the Council which has responsibility over this area and all correspondence will be dealt with by the Housing Department within this Council. Click here for contact details of City and County Councils.



2. 2STEP 2: Application Form: Request an application form from the Housing Department of the relevant Council. Ask for an Application for Social Housing Form. A member of staff can assist you with completing the form if necessary. Many of the Councils have the Application Form available for download from their website.



3. 3STEP 3: Complete and return the application form: It is important to read this form carefully before completing it. Please pay attention to Part E of the form which directly corresponds to specially adapted homes for people with disabilities.



4. 4STEP 4: Assistance with the Form: If you need assistance in filling out the Housing Application Form, help is available from:
   
   - The Council Housing Department can assist you with this process.
   - Staff member in your local IWA centre or in another local disability support organisation/service Click here to find your nearest IWA Centre
   - Consider asking family or friends
   



5. 5STEP 5: Other Required Documents: The documents that are listed on page 2 of the Application for Social Housing Form must be sent to the Council with the Housing Application Form. A birth cert is compulsory. If you do not have a birth cert, click here to apply online for a copy of your birth cert. Alternatively, you can complete a postal application by clicking here. If you are unsure about what documents to send or where to get them refer to STEP 4 and seek assistance.



6. 6STEP 6: Tax Office: The application form is not valid unless stamped by your local tax office to show that you are not a current property owner. Bring your PPS number with you to the Tax Office. Your PPS number can be found on your medical card or on Social Welfare letters and documents. Click here to find your local tax office (external website)



7. 7STEP 7: Social Welfare and/or Employer: The application form must also be stamped by your local Social Welfare Office if you are receiving a Social Welfare payment or by your current employer if you are working. Click here to find your nearest Social Welfare Office.



8. 8STEP 8: Doctor’s Letter and Occupational Therapist (OT) Report: The most important documents to accompany the Application for Social Housing Form are;
   
   i) a doctor’s letter supporting and giving good reason and explanation for your housing need/requirements.
   
   ii) an OT report that clearly outlines your present and future housing requirement in terms of both design and type of housing. You should have a personal input into both letters through discussion with your GP and OT. Click here for more information on these letters.
   
   The OT letter can be from a Hospital OT or a HSE OT contactable through your local Health Centre or an OT working in private practice. If you need assistance in making contact with either a GP or an OT go back to STEP 4.
   
   Consider writing your own letter to explain your circumstances or asking a social worker or advocacy worker who knows you to also write in support of your housing application.



9. 9STEP 9: Copy and Deliver the Form: Take and keep safely a copy of the Housing Application Form and all accompanying documents. Return the original documents to the Housing Department of the City or County Council you have previously dealt with during the application process.



10. 10STEP 10: Follow Up: Keep in regular contact, approximately once a month, with the person you previously met or spoke with in the Council Housing Department to see how your housing application is being viewed by the Council.