Homeless
Many people assume that being homeless just means sleeping on the street, this is not correct.
You are homeless if you have no permanent accommodation of your own, so you could be:
-
Sleeping rough
-
Staying on a friend's floor or settee
-
Living in a hostel, bed and breakfast or refuge.
You could also be threatened with homelessness if you have your own home but are at risk of losing it for reasons such as:
-
Being asked to leave by your landlord or parents
-
Suffering domestic violence or harassment
-
Leaving the armed forces, prison or hospital
-
Getting into rent or mortgage arrears
-
Your relationship has broken down
We have a legal responsibility to help homeless people and their families by providing advice and information.
We only have a duty to accommodate those who are found to be unintentionally homeless, eligible for assistance, in priority need and able to demonstrate a connection to the local area.
This duty is under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002, amended by the Homeless Reduction Act 2017.
If you are homeless or about to become so:
We will try to prevent homelessness whenever possible. We can advise about different housing options, private renting, social housing and supported accommodation. We may be able to secure temporary accommodation for you until permanent accommodation is found.
To speak with a member of our team please complete the enquiry form. The online enquiry will ask a number of questions about yourself, your household and your circumstances. Please make sure that you answer all the questions and include a contact number and/or an email address so that we can get in touch with you. Once the enquiry has been submitted, it will be reviewed by our team and a housing options officer will then contact you within 5 working days to discuss your housing circumstances further and to complete the assessment.
If you already have an open case with us please do not complete the online enquiry again - please contact your housing options officer directly by email or call 01706 217777.
For emergency help ouside of office hours please call 0300 222 5946 and Select Option 4