What are First Homes?
A First Home is an affordable housing product, intended to help first-time buyers with their first step onto the housing ladder. The property is discounted by a minimum of 30% of its open market value, with a price cap of £250,000 after the discount has been applied.
In order to buy a First Home, you must meet some eligibility criteria. Visit the government website to find out more:
More information about First Homes in South Staffordshire can be found in this Interim Policy Statement:
First Homes Interim Policy Statement
How do I buy a First Home?
New developments in the district will soon be providing a proportion of properties as First Homes. You will need to contact the housebuilder yourself to make enquiries and establish what First Homes are available on the specific site.
More information on the process for buying a First Home in South Staffordshire will be provided in a guidance note for purchasers in due course.
For developers
Information on the council’s requirements for First Homes applications will soon be available in a guidance note for developers. In the meantime, please email planning@sstaffs.gov.uk with any queries.
Consultation - First Homes Eligibility Criteria
The government has given local authorities the option to set additional local eligibility criteria to ensure that First Homes work well in their area. The Council is therefore consulting on a proposed set of local criteria for South Staffordshire. Local eligibility criteria only applies for the first three months of marketing, after which sales will revert to the national criteria.
The draft First Homes Eligibility Criteria for South Staffordshire was consulted on for four weeks between 26th June 2023 and 24th July 2023, and has now closed. The comments received will be used to inform any changes to the document in due course.
Consultation Document - First Homes Local Eligibility Criteria - June 2023
Please contact the Housing Strategy team (housingstrategy@sstaffs.gov.uk) if you have any queries or require any further information.