Housing

Contact the Housing Advice Team on 01429 266522 as soon as possible to make an appointment, or call into the Civic Centre if it’s easier or if you’re going to be homeless tonight. 

The opening times for the Housing Advice Team’s Triage service are as follows:

	AM	PM
Monday	10am - 11.30am	2pm - 3.30pm
Tuesday	10am - 11.30am	2pm - 3.30pm
Wednesday	Closed	2pm - 3.30pm
Thursday	10am - 11.30am	2pm - 3.30pm
Friday	10am - 11.30am	2pm - 3.30pm

Don’t put off seeking help.  Your local council has a legal responsibility to prevent homelessness (under the Homelessness Prevention Act 2017) and we will give you help to secure accommodation or prevent your homelessness depending on your personal circumstances). 

Public authorities have a Duty to Refer [hyperlink to D2R page] to the local council if they come across someone who is homeless is likely to become homeless.

You don't have to be sleeping on the streets or not have a roof over your head to be considered homeless. Most people who are legally homeless are not on the streets.

You could also be considered homeless if you:

• are at risk of losing your home
• are at risk of violence or abuse where you are living.  This can be from a partner, ex-partner or family member, or someone in your area
• have been illegally evicted
• are living in accommodation that's in a very poor condition
• are staying with friends or 'sofa surfing' 

Examples of help and advice the council can provide:

• a mediation service between you and any members of your family or neighbours to try and help sort out any difficulties so that you can stay in your home
• speak with your landlord to try and allow you to stay in your home or agree some more time so that you can find other accommodation
• helping you to negotiate with your mortgage lender or to apply for help so that you can continue to meet your mortgage payments
• providing you with a grant or a loan to pay off arrears so that you can stay in your home
• providing you with, or referring you for, specialist advice about your money and benefits.
• helping you set a realistic budget so that you can afford to stay in your home or pay for somewhere new
• providing you with, or referring you for, specialist independent housing advice
• helping you fill out application forms for housing (for example with a Housing Association or for supported housing)
• providing you with advice and support about personal safety if you are at risk of abuse, helping you find a safe home or refuge, referring you for legal advice if needed
• helping you with an application for a Discretionary Housing Payment
• referring you to an anti-social behaviour prevention service
• supporting you with applications for Disabled Facilities Grant to help adapt your home
• help you to develop a Personalised Housing Plan (PHP)

 

Who we can help

1. There must be a reason to believe that you might be homeless or threatened with homelessness within 56 days.  At this point you can make a homeless application. This means that you are telling the council you are homeless or at risk of homelessness and need our help.

2. You must be eligible - normally live in the UK long-term and not be subject to immigration control. 

3. You must be recognised as homeless or threatened with homelessness within 56 days.

 

Your rights if you’re homeless

If you are threatened with homelessness within 56 days the Council will have a duty to try and prevent this to try and enable you to stay in your home or to help you find alternative accommodation.

If you are in this position, don’t delay!  Contact the Housing Advice team today [hyperlink to Homeless or worried you might lose your home? page]

If you’re homeless we’ll look at whether or not you have local connections in the area such as

• how long you’ve lived in the area
• if you’re employed in the area
• you have close family in the area
• other special circumstances

We’ll talk to you about your circumstances. This will help us to understand your situation and any support and help you may need.  We will develop a Personalised Housing Plan with you which will identify what you need to do and also what we need to do to help you.  Over the course of your application we’ll keep you up to date with what we are doing to help you.  You’ll also need to make sure you get in touch with us regularly to let us know what you’ve done from your Personalised Housing Plan.

Our duty to prevent homelessness for you will come to an end if you:

• are able to remain in the accommodation you are in
• accept alternative accommodation which is suitable and likely to last for at least 6 months
• reject alternative accommodation which was suitable and was likely to last for at least 6 months
• refuse to engage with the help which is being offered
• lose contact with the Council
• cease to be eligible for assistance
• become homeless
• withdraw your application