Directgov
This site signposts you to advice on housing issues, whether you are a home owner or a tenant
Shelter
This charity offers housing advice via the telephone and online.
Family Mosaic
They provide good quality, affordable homes and housing services to people over Essex. Tenants can also gain valuable skills and experience though work placement and volunteering opportunities.
Regard
operates over 120 care homes for people with learning difficulties, mental health problems or acquired brain injuries. The company also operates services for children with learning disabilities and emotional and behavioural disorders.
Supporting People
This provides support services to a wide range of vulnerable people. The Supporting People programme is committed to ensuring that vulnerable people have the opportunity to live more independently. Through working partnerships with local government, service users and support agencies, it promotes straightforward, cost-effective and reliable housing-related solutions which complement available care services and support independent living.
If you are a disabled teenager,
Directgov
offer advice on your transition to adult services and provide information on the choices you have to make on housing issues and independent living.
Elderly Accommodation Counsel
They aim to help older people make informed choices about meeting their housing and care needs. It was founded in 1984 and registered as a charity in 1985. It is now commonly known as EAC
The Relatives & Residents Association (Essex)
This is a new initiative which aims to provide information and support to older people and their families and friends on matters relating to residential care and the alternatives to it.
Fact sheets from Help the Aged and Age Concern about housing choices and issues:
Supporting People: paying for supported accommodation
This explains how the scheme works and who qualifies
Housing choices
This gives advice on support to stay at home, arranging repairs, improvements and adaptations, moving to sheltered housing, other options and contacts.
Sheltered housing
Advice on choosing sheltered housing, buying or renting, organisations providing sheltered housing and a list of useful contacts.
Housing in retirement
This information guide explains the different types of housing that are available for older people and what to do in order to find a new home.
Housing benefit and council tax benefit
A guide to who can claim these benefits and how they are calculated.
Living abroad
Advice offered by Age Concern:
Retiring Abroad
This information sheet provides a checklist of questions to consider including the advantages and disadvantages of moving abroad and advice on choosing the country.
Returning to this country
One of the conditions for receiving benefits and health care is that a person should be habitually resident in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. 'Habitual residence' is not defined in law and each case is considered on its merits. 'Habitual residence' commences immediately on arrival in the UK for anyone resuming a previous residence in the UK, Republic Of Ireland, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. This means a person is not normally affected by the test if they have lived in the UK, moved to live in another country and then returned to live in the UK again.
