Sheltered housing

Sheltered housing is for older or disabled people that want to live independently, but still need some support. You can either rent or buy this type of housing.

It is usually available for those aged 55 and over but some schemes may be open to those under 55, depending on your circumstances.

It consists of individual flats with communal facilities. 

If you have greater support needs, this type of housing may not give you the level of support and care you need.

Renting sheltered housing

Registered providers (housing associations) own the social and affordable sheltered housing to rent in Chelmsford. 

You will need to be on the Housing Register to express your interest in these properties. Usually, we nominate people for these homes.

Buying sheltered housing

If you currently own your own home or have some savings, you may want to move to a retirement home. This type of home is smaller, easier to manage and cheaper to maintain.

There are quite a few retirement housing schemes in Chelmsford that you can buy on a leasehold basis.

You can get advice on retirement housing for sale by contacting an estate agent. You can find retirement properties for sale by visiting Rightmove, Zoopla or OnTheMarket.

If you don’t have enough savings to buy a property outright, you can buy through a government shared ownership or Help to Buy scheme.

Independent living (extra care housing)

Independent living housing is for people aged 55 or over, with greater care or support needs but who want to stay independent.

These properties provide 24-hour care and support onsite.

To qualify for independent living and extra care housing you need to:

• be aged 55 and over
• have at least six hours of assessed care and support needs each week
• live in a district offering the scheme or have a connection to that area

You can apply for this type of accommodation by contacting Essex County Council’s adult social care service.

Essex County Council (ECC) will assess your care and support needs. If you need residential care, ECC will also look into that as part of their assessment. 

Housing options for older people

For information and advice on care choices for older people, you can visit Which? Elderly Care.

You can also visit the Elderly Accommodation Council (EAC) website to find housing accommodation.