Homelessness
Summary
If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness then you should seek advice as soon as possible.
Our Housing Options Officers will be able to discuss your options with you and where possible they will work with you to
prevent your homelessness.
If you need accommodation in an emergency then you can contact Out of office hours.
Downloads
Further Information
The Council has a legal obligation to provide housing to certain applicants who are or may become homeless.
In order to determine whether a Council does have a duty to provide accommodation the Council will need to make the relevant
enquiries to see whether you are:
- Eligible
- Homeless
- Have a priority need
- Are not homeless intentionally
- Have a local connection
The legislation provides definitions for those people who it believes are eligible, homeless, in priority need, are homeless
intentionally and have a local connection, using these definitions is how Officers determine whether the Council has a legal
obligation to provide you with housing.
If we do have a duty to provide you with housing due to your homelessness or threatened homelessness we can discharge this
duty in a number of ways.
- A property from the Council stock
- A housing association property
- A property within the private rented sector (this would be with your permission)
To assist with these enquires we will ask you to complete a form, which is slightly different from the housing register
application form.
This will concentrate on the reasons as to why you have become homeless or threatened with homelessness so we will ask
questions about your last settled accommodation.
We appreciate that some of the questions we ask may be intrusive and you may feel uncomfortable answering them. It is
important that you tell us as much as you can as this will enable us to determine whether the Council has an obligation to
provide you with housing.
We will, in all circumstances endeavour to prevent your homelessness.
Related pages
External Links
Shelter England
Shelter helps more than 170,000 people a year fight for their rights, get back on their feet, and find and keep a home.
Citizens Advice
Helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free information and advice.
