Social housing is the most affordable type of housing. It is rented from the council or a housing association.
The housing register is a list of households in Camden that have applied for and met the criteria for social housing.
Social housing in Camden
There is high demand for social housing across central London. We understand the pressures faced by households living in Camden and wish we could do more to help.
- Over 7,600 households are on our housing register looking for a home
- Two-thirds of homes that become available every year are studio or 1-bed properties
- Fewer than 60 3-beds and 25 4-beds became available in 2023. There are currently nearly 2,000 households looking for a 3-bed and 500 for a 4-bed
There are other housing options available. These may help you find a settled home more quickly.
1. Check if you’re eligible
Our housing allocation scheme (PDF) gives priority to households with the most significant housing need. Not everyone is eligible to join the housing register. We assess eligible households fairly and prioritise those with the most housing need.
Even if you’re successful in joining the register, you may not be successful in bidding for a home. This is because there are more people bidding for housing than the number of available homes.
2. Apply to join the housing register
Once you've checked your eligibility, you will need to complete a housing application to join the housing register. You will need to provide supporting documents. Find out more about the documents you need to apply.
Apply to join the housing register
If you or a member of your household have a medical condition impacted by your housing, you can let us know in the health and housing section of the application form. We may also ask you to complete a Health and Disability Questionnaire. You must return this within 21 working days from the date the questionnaire was sent. This date is written at the top of the cover letter sent with the questionnaire. Find out more about Health and Housing points.
3. How your application is assessed
An officer will assess your household's application by reading all the information you have provided. They are guided by the housing allocations scheme which tells us how to assess need in a fair way across all applications.
We currently have a high volume of applications to join the housing register. It can take us up to 10 weeks to review your application and respond to you. It may take longer if you have reported a medical condition as a Medical Assessment Officer will need to review your case.
4. Provide supporting documents
As part of your application, you will likely need to provide supporting evidence. Find out more about the documents you need to provide.
5. Receive a decision
Once an officer has decided about your application, we will send you a letter explaining this decision. We may also phone you. You can find out more about bidding in Step 5.
Eligible to join the housing register
If you qualify, the letter we send will tell you the number of points you have and the reasons why. You can now bid for properties.
Not eligible to join the housing register
If you do not qualify to join the housing register, the letter will explain the reason for this. There are other housing options that may help you find a settled home.
6. Bid for a home
If you are approved to join the housing register, we will send a letter to confirm:
- your housing points
- the number of bedrooms you are eligible to bid for
- your user ID, PIN number and security number
The number of housing points you receive reflects your circumstances. A higher number of points means that you have a higher housing need and receive greater priority for housing. The different points categories are explained in the Housing Allocations Scheme. Find out how to bid for a home.
Average successful points for each bed size in 2023
- Studio, 225 average points
- 1-bed, 350 average points
- 2-bed, 600 average points
- 3-bed, 880 average points
- 4-bed, 1195 average points
7. View a property
Bidding closes each week at midnight on Monday. The ten bidders with the highest points are shortlisted for a property and receive a text to invite them to view it. The successful bidder is the person that accepts the property and has the highest number of points.
If you accept a property, your application is checked again. If your circumstances have changed and you have not updated your application, you may no longer be eligible for the property.
8. What to do if you're unsuccessful with bidding
Even if you are successful in joining the housing register, you may not be successful in bidding for a home.
There is high demand for social housing across central London. We understand the pressures faced by households living in Camden and wish we could do more to help. Unfortunately, there are more people who need social housing than the number of homes available. Explore your housing options.
9. Report a change in circumstances
You must tell us straight away if you’ve had a change in circumstances. This includes a change since you joined the register, or you last updated your application. Failure to keep your application up to date may result in an offer being withdrawn. You can let us know using the change in circumstances form.
Report a change in circumstances
While we check this information you will not be able to bid for a property on Home Connections. It can take up to 6 weeks to get back to you. Please bear with us while we work hard to respond. We may contact you for additional information as part of this process. This may take longer if you have reported a medical condition, and our Medical Assessment Officer needs to look at your case.
Request a review
If you believe a decision you have received is not correct, we encourage you to resolve it by contacting us on 020 7974 4444.
You may need to wait before you get through to a member of the team. If you still do not agree you can request a review within 21 days of the decision. We aim to respond in 21 days but are currently facing high volumes of requests.