Has anyone successfully accessed the HOLD disability housing scheme in England?”

I'm hoping to hear from disabled people across England, particularly those in Lancashire and the wider North West, about their experiences of the HOLD (Home Ownership for People with Long-term Disabilities) shared ownership scheme.

I'm physically disabled and currently living in accommodation that is no longer suitable for my mobility needs. Following an occupational therapist's assessment recommending ground-floor or level-access accommodation, I've been researching ways to purchase a suitable home.

I discovered the HOLD scheme, which is specifically intended to help eligible people with long-term disabilities purchase a share of a property that meets their needs, including potentially a home on the open market.

However, I've encountered a significant problem: finding a housing association that actually participates in the scheme.

I've checked the government's official shared ownership provider finder, and across eight Lancashire local authority areas, including Preston, South Ribble, Chorley and West Lancashire, it currently lists zero HOLD providers.

Other forms of shared ownership are available, but HOLD appears to be inaccessible through the listed providers in these areas.

This raises a much wider concern.

A scheme specifically designed to help disabled people find suitable accommodation should surely have an accessible application process. Yet people with physical disabilities, chronic pain, fatigue and restricted mobility may find themselves having to contact numerous housing associations individually, repeatedly explain their circumstances and hope someone is willing to help.

For some, the additional physical and emotional demands of navigating this process could make an already difficult situation almost impossible.

I'm concerned that this may create a geographical inequality, where access to a government-supported disability housing scheme depends largely on whether a participating provider happens to operate in your area.

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience of HOLD, whether positive or negative.

Have you successfully purchased a property through HOLD? Have you tried to apply but been unable to find a provider? Have you encountered other barriers? Which county or local authority area were you looking in?

I'd also be interested to hear from people who had never heard of HOLD despite needing accessible housing.

My intention is to collate the experiences shared, identify any geographical patterns and potentially raise the findings with disability advocacy organisations and Homes England.

This isn't an official survey, and I appreciate that individual experiences won't establish the full national picture. However, they could help highlight problems that might otherwise go unrecognised.

I will not publish names or identifying personal information. Please avoid sharing private medical details or full addresses in public replies. I would seek permission before using anyone's individual account in correspondence or a report.

I'm not looking to criticise individual housing associations. I want to understand whether a scheme intended to improve disabled people's access to suitable housing is genuinely accessible to those who need it.

Thank you to anyone willing to share their experience.