Our Housing Strategy Team works to improve Housing Services for the people of Trafford. The following reports underpin the work we do:

Trafford Council and Lloyds TSB have joined forces to help first-time buyers purchase a home with a deposit of just 5%.

The Lend a Hand scheme went live in Trafford on Thursday 10th May 2012.

Subject to Lloyds TSB's usual lending criteria, borrowers are able to select almost any property within the local area (excluding new build properties), up to a maximum loan size of £190,000. First-time buyers will put down 5% of the property price, and Trafford Council will provide a cash-backed indemnity of up to 20% as additional security.

The first-time buyer owns the property in its entirety, and will have access to a range of products at a lower rate of interest than would normally be available for this level of deposit.

The Council is no longer taking expressions of interest in this scheme. Those interested should contact Lloyds TSB directly for more information, to register interest, and to discuss their needs. Local branches can be found at:

• 22 King Street, Stretford, Manchester, M32 8AD
• 40-42 School Road, Sale, M33 7XL
• 76 Stamford New Road, Altrincham, WA14 1BS
• 24 Crofts Bank Road, Urmston, Manchester, M41 0TX

The customer telephone number for all LTSB branches is 0845 3 000 000.

The Council has no involvement in the assessment of mortgage applications, and there is no right of appeal to the Council should an application be refused.

The Housing Strategy 2009/12 sets out the roles and responsibilities of the council and its partners around housing and housing services, the key challenges, what the priorities are, and how they will be delivered and measured.

After consultation between the council, housing associations, the Homes and Communities Agency and other groups, the five priorities set out are: affordability and access to housing, housing's contribution to economic development, promoting quality and sustainability, strong neighbourhoods and communities, and housing for vulnerable people.

The ways these priorities will be met include increased work between organisations such as housing associations, regeneration groups, developers and others to address the challenges.

Together with other agencies we will work to deliver a range of housing services which meet the needs of Trafford residents.

Executive Councillor Mike Cornes said: "This strategy is vital to meeting the housing needs of the people of Trafford in healthy, safe and secure neighbourhoods. It will, alongside other projects such as our sustainable communities work, homelessness prevention, and Core Strategy, deal with the increasingly complex housing issues we are facing, especially during the current economic climate."

An Executive Summary can be found in the Full Report between pages 3 and 14.

• Trafford Housing Strategy 2009-12 - Full Report
• Trafford Housing Strategy 2009-12 - Delivery Plans

There are in excess 2,500 empty properties in Trafford, of which over a thousand have been empty for more than 6 months. Empty properties are a wasted resource, particularly in an area like Trafford with high levels of demand for all types of housing. Empty homes can also have an adverse effect on local neighbourhoods, creating blight and attracting vandalism.

Returning empty properties to use eases pressure on the housing stock, improves the neighbourhood environment and meets housing need.

However, some empty properties are needed to allow the housing market to function properly.

The Council's new Empty Property Strategy sets out the approach the Council will adopt to target resources at the most problematic empty homes, and those with the greatest potential to meet housing need.

We consulted widely on the Empty Property Strategy for 12 weeks between March and June 2011.

See a summary of the consultation process and what people said

A Housing Market Assessment document has been produced to assist the Council to set policies and identify housing needs:

• Trafford Housing Market Assessment

This is the Council's 3rd Homelessness Strategy. Our aim is to prevent Homelessness wherever possible through the provision of appropriate advice or support to those at risk and intervening at as early a stage as is practical. Efforts will be targeted at providing people with options to enable them to make informed choices and improve the quality of their lives.

• Homelessness Prevention Strategy 2008/11

Our first Black and Minority Ethnic Communities Housing Strategy was published in September 2005. The main aims of the Strategy are to:

• Ensure fair opportunities and fair access to services and facilities
• Ensure that services reflect the cultural diversity of communities
• Provide appropriate housing within the right place and of the right type
• Continue to work with all communities to ensure that they shape and influence plans and strategies

This document is in the process of being updated and will be available here later in the year.

• Black and Minority Ethnic Communities Housing Strategy 2005/08

Affordable Housing is a major concern in Trafford. The average house price is £224,900 which means that it is very difficult for most residents to get on the housing ladder. The Housing Strategy team works with partners to increase the provision of affordable housing for rent and develop low cost home ownership schemes. One such project is Trafford Homestep as detailed below.

Trafford Homestep aims to provide a one stop shop for affordable housing products within Trafford. The scheme has been developed by the Housing Strategy team in partnership with Plumlife.

Plumlife is the Homebuy agent for Greater Manchester, Lancashire and South Yorkshire. The Plumlife website is a one stop shop for affordable housing. If you are interested in any Government funded schemes in the Trafford area please visit the Plumlife wesbite.