Living
Hertfordshire is situated in the South East of England. It’s a county of contrasts, so people living here get the best of both worlds – surrounded by beautiful countryside but with good road and rail links to London and Cambridge.
Hertfordshire is the top county for family life, in a 2016 Better Life Index and it remains the third-best place to like in the UK in a quality of life index since 2013. Several Hertfordshire villages were named in The Times as some of the top 30 best villages in Britain in 2013, whilst the county has the first garden cities: Letchworth and Welwyn. Hertfordshire is recognised as a great place to bring up a family, with plenty on offer within the county.
Accommodation
If you are thinking of relocating, accommodation will most likely be one of your considerations. There are a number of initiatives available to help you either rent or buy your own home.
Teachers in Hertfordshire schools may be eligible to apply for one of the following housing schemes.
Help to Buy shared ownership – new-build homes or resale
Shared ownership offers the chance to buy a home on a part-buy/part-rent basis. You can buy initial shares worth between 25% and 75% of the property's market value.
Help to Buy: equity loans
The Help to Buy: equity loan scheme gives first-time buyers the opportunity to purchase a new-build home, with the help of an equity loan guaranteed by the government.
Home Ownership for people with Long-term Disabilities (HOLD)
HOLD aims to give people with long-term disabilities the chance to own a shared ownership home and to live independently. You'll need to meet the usual eligibility criteria for buying through Help to Buy, and you should be able to meet all the ongoing regular payments and costs of home ownership.
Rent to Buy
Rent to Buy gives you the chance to rent a new-build home from a housing association for an agreed period, at around 20% less than you would pay for a similar private rented home in the area.
Discounted Rent
Discounted Rent (also known as ‘Intermediate Rent’) gives you the chance to rent a new-build home from a housing association for an initial six-month period, at around 20% less than you would pay for a similar private rented home in the area.
For further details of all the schemes and eligibility criteria visit Help to Buy:
Although council housing was originally a district/borough council function, many of the districts and boroughs have sold their affordable housing on to housing associations. Details can be found on the Herts Direct website: