How Can I Find Out About A New Area?
The Edition of the Locata Home magazine on 10th October 2008 will be different from other additions as it will allow all members to bid for all areas across West London.
One question that you may think of when considering which properties to bid for is how do I find out about the facilities in an area that I am not familiar with? For example what are the schools like in Hillingdon? What shopping facilities are there in Ealing? How good are the transport links in Harrow?
The first place to start is the websites of each individual Borough (they can be accessed through the map on the - Our Partners part of the Locata Website). Each website will give a wide range of information about what is available in each Borough and what is going on in each area, including details of schools, leisure facilities, housing and job opportunities.
If you are bidding for a Housing Association property you can also access their websites through - Locata and you will be able to find out about the Housing Association and the services that they provide.
One question which may arise when you are looking at a new area is how can I travel to my work or school? The Transport for London website www.tfl.gov.uk provides a journey planner service where you can enter your home address and where you want to go to and it will produce a route with possible buses, tubes and train routes and give you an idea of the journey time.
Finally, for a detailed idea of the issues and activities that are going on in each area a local newspaper can be a useful way of getting more information. The open edition will be an opportunity to consider new areas for your housing (although it will not solve the overall shortage of housing in the region), with a little research you can ensure that a move to a new area is the right one for you.
West London Mutual Exchange
If you're a public sector tenant, you can move home using Mutual Exchange by swapping your home with that of another public sector tenant. You can also register for Mutual Exchange so that your home will be advertised here for other tenants to see.
To find out if your organisation are a part of the scheme and find out more about how Mutual Exchange works Click Here.
Other Councils and Housing Associations within the Locata partnership also have sheltered housing for rent. You will need to contact them individually to ask about their eligibility criteria.
Six London boroughs, Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow and Nine housing associations, PCHA, Catalyst Communities HA, Paradigm, Acton, Notting Hill, Shepherds Bush, Stadium, Thames Valley and Westway Housing Associations have joined forces with Locata to help people find the homes they want.
Locata was designed to give you more choice about where you want to live. In the past the council decided where and when you would be offered a home, now you can choose.
Existing council and housing association tenants who would like to transfer can use Locata to find a new home, as well as Home Seekers - people who are on their council's housing register.