Sheltered Housing

Castle Point Borough Council has eight sheltered schemes within the Borough which offer self-contained accommodation for the over 60’s who are capable of independent living with some support. There are 291 such units of supported accommodation, with three schemes in Benfleet, one in Hadleigh and four on Canvey Island. The Council employs Sheltered Housing Officers, and there is a full time Officer at each scheme.

What is Sheltered Housing?

Sheltered Housing generally applies to a group of apartments inside a communal building
Most of our sheltered housing schemes are made up of studio apartments, one bedroom flats and bungalows, and a few two-bedroom properties.

Our Sheltered Housing Schemes offer:

Communal lounge for variety of social activities
Well maintained gardens
Sheltered Housing Officer
Security door - entry system
24 hour emergency services

Who can apply?

To qualify for Sheltered Housing you should be:

Aged over 60 years (for new applicants) or aged over 55 years (for existing CPBC tenants)
On Castle Point Council’s Housing Register or Transfer List
Require support

How to apply?

You will need to submit an application online via our HomeChoice site to apply to join the Housing Register and in addition you will need to complete and submit a Sheltered Housing application form ( Sheltered Accomodation Application Form [pdf] 75KB )
For any medical and disability conditions, you will also need to complete a Medical Assessment Form [pdf] 601KB

Charges

The amount of rent you pay will vary according to the size of the property.

Other charges may include:

Heating (hot water and heating)
Support Services (Sheltered Housing and Careline)
Laundry charge

If you are on a low income, you may be entitled to Housing Benefit towards your housing cost. For further information on how to claim benefits, please go to our Benefits section.

What is the role of the Sheltered Housing Officer?

Every resident of Sheltered Housing benefits from the added support of a Sheltered Housing Officer. They are on duty during the normal office hours of the Council (37 hours per week, Monday to Friday). Out of hours emergency calls are handled by Southend Borough Council’s Careline.

Sheltered Housing Officers provide residents with extra help such as:

Daily contact and/or visit to check on wellbeing and your needs
Liaising with statutory services and voluntary agencies on your behalf
Support planning
Reporting repairs
Management of the building
Responding to emergency situations.
Coordinating and Encouraging social interaction

Please note that the Sheltered Housing Officer will not be able to help you with personal care, housework or shopping. However, they can help you contact other services which may be able to help with these tasks.