I am a longstanding housing association tenant. I asked about my "right to acquire" my house...?

Of course it isn't - it is a simple matter of fact.

The Right to Buy and Right to Acquire are very different, they are also different for council tenants and Housing Association Tenants.

For Housing Associations, Right to Buy is available to anyone who has been a tenant since before 15th January 1989 (i.e. a Secure Tenant), the Right to Acquire is available to anyone who's house was built after 1st April 1997 or purchase by the landlord after this date. There are also other restrictions about the types of property which can be bought under the scheme.

Basically, if you haven't been a tenant since 15/1/89 and your property was built before 1/4/97 or the landlord bought it before this date, you have no rights to buy your property at all and never will have unless your landlord offers to sell it to you, which can happen but is unlikely if it is part of a street or block of flats where the landlord owns them all.

Its just unfortunate that there is a gap that a lot of people fall into where the tenant has no rights to buy their property.

the right to buy is complexed as you gain discount for vairing years of being a tenant,you can check this by logging onto your respected council web site and look at right to buy section,this will give the answer you are looking for,you have not said if its freehold or lease,flats are leasehold and nearly all other properties are freehold,you cannot buy sheltered accomadation,that is warden aided.