New Affordable Housing - Information for the public

We work with housing associations, developers, landowners and Homes England to provide affordable housing.

Affordable rent homes are allocated through Choice Based Lettings to households on the Common Housing Register. Most new build sites will have a percentage of homes for rent which may be delivered in phases (depending on the size of the site). To join the register, please visit our Apply for social housing page.

Shared ownership homes are advertised to households on the relevant Registered Provider's website. Shared ownership re-sales can be found through sites such are rightmove.com and sharetobuy.com

The National Housing Federation’s new shared ownership website

First Homes are a form of discounted market sale housing and are required to be delivered as part of the affordable housing provision on sites where planning permission was determined after 28th March 2022. They are required to form 25% of the total number of affordable housing units on a site. They are delivered by developers and secured through the S106 agreement & a legal restriction on the title. First Homes must be discounted by a minimum of 30% against the market value and after discount, the selling price is capped at £250K on first sale.

Purchasers must meet the First Homes Eligibility Criteria i.e. they must be

• • 18 or older
  • a first-time buyer
  • able to get a mortgage for at least half the price of the home
  • buying the home as part of a household where total income is no more than £80,000 and they must also meet the Council’s Local Connection Criteria i.e. they must be
  • ordinarily resident within the Mid Sussex District Council’s administrative area and have been for a continuous period of not less than 12 consecutive months prior to exchange of contracts for the relevant First Home; and/or
  • have a close family association with the Mid Sussex District Council’s administrative area by reason of a parent or child who is ordinarily resident within the Mid Sussex District Council’s administrative area.

There are exemptions from the Local Connection Criteria for members of the armed forces, the divorced or separated spouse or civil partner of a member of the armed forces, a widow or widower of a deceased member of the armed forces (if their death was caused wholly or partly by their service) and a veteran who left the armed forces in the last 5 years as long as the other eligibility criteria are met.
All purchasers must be approved by the Council & the homes will remain as First Homes in perpetuity.​

Be aware that both affordable rent and shared ownership homes are often advertised several months before the estimated 'available' dates given below.

New affordable homes are prioritised to households with a local connection to the town or parish where the development is located.

Housing Development & Enabling Officer
Tel: 01444 477309
Email: nicholas.royle@midsussex.gov.uk