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Council housing

The council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well built homes on secure tenancies at reasonable rents to primarily working class people.

Council houses

Craven District Council is a non stock-holding local authority. Following extensive consultation with tenants, the Council's housing stock of 1,540 properties was transferred in 2003 to housing association, Yorkshire Housing, under the Government's Large Scale Voluntary Transfer option.

Therefore, there is no "council" housing in Craven.  However, there are a number of housing associations offering social housing in Craven.  

Apply for Social Housing

Craven District Council is a partner in the North Yorkshire Choice Based Lettings (CBL) Partnership which includes seven out of the eight local authorities across North Yorkshire and York.   The new lettings scheme, known as North Yorkshire HomeChoice, has replaced the existing lettings schemes of the local housing authorities in North Yorkshire and is based on customer choice.  All available properties from a variety of landlords are advertised in various ways and applicants are able to request which properties they wish to be considered for.  To put forward an expression of interest on a particular property, you must first be registered with North Yorkshire HomeChoice.  If you are not able to apply online please request a paper form from Contact Craven, here at council offices or contact Housing Options on 01756 706475 - further contact details on the right of this page.

Yorkshire Housing remains the housing association with the greatest amount of social housing in Craven and one of the council's partner Registered Providers (RP).   All vacant Yorkshire Housing properties will be advertised on the HomeChoice website and most of the other housing providers operating in Craven have signed up to the new system.  Some do still have their own waiting list for their properties and can be contacted directly.

For details about the social housing in Craven as well as other useful information and contact details for Estate Agents and housing associations, please see the Guide to Housing Options in Craven -

pdf icon Guide to Housing Options [4Mb]