Key worker scheme

If you are a ‘selected public sector worker’, sometimes called a ‘key worker’, and you do not have a social tenancy and/or do not live within a reasonable distance of your workplace, the council may give you additional housing priority.

You may be considered for additional housing priority as a key worker if you are employed full or part time on a permanent contract (i.e. not agency staff) within the borough as one of the following:

• ambulance staff who is also a paramedic
• a fully qualified nurse working in one of the borough’s NHS hospitals
• a fire fighter or police officer stationed in the borough
• a teacher working in one of the borough’s Local Education Authority (LEA) maintained schools.

However, if your household needs accommodation with four or more bedrooms, you will not be considered for key worker priority due to the shortage of accommodation this size.

Further information

If you would like more information about the council’s key worker scheme please refer to the lettings policy or contact the council’s lettings team here.

There are also government sponsored schemes that can help key workers buy a home or buy a share of a home. Details about these schemes are available from the Communities and Local Government website and to register your interest, please see www.housingoptions.co.uk

To find out about what Tower Hamlets Council is doing in partnership with other councils to address the housing shortage for key workers in London’s east sub-region, please see the East Sub-Region Key Worker Housing Review and Action Plan 2004 (PDF, 783K).