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Choosing where to live

Almshouses are a type of affordable housing run by charities. They’re usually for older people with a low income. The first almshouse was founded in the 10th century.
Almshouses are run by independent local charities. They provide self-contained low-cost housing, mostly to older people who have a low income. They often cater for particular categories of people, for example if you’ve worked for a certain trade or you’ve been living in the area for a number of years. There are generally a small number of houses grouped together.
Residents pay rent, usually called a maintenance contribution, which is often less than the average rent in local properties rented from a council, housing association or private landlord.
To find out more about almshouses, visit almshouses.org
Almshouses are usually only suitable for people who are able to live independently. In addition, each almshouse has its own eligibility criteria. For example, they may only help people who:
Details of current vacancies are available from The Almshouse Association (01344 452922, almshouses.org).