Homelessness - what the Council can do

Prevention of homelessness

If you think you may have to leave your home, we will work with you to prevent this happening. We can give you advice, assistance and agree with you a Personal Housing Plan, which lists reasonable steps you and the Council will take, to help you stay in your home. This may include debt advice, mediation and negotiation.

Whilst our top priority will be to try and prevent you from losing your home, this is not always possible. If you do have to move home, we will work with you to try and find somewhere else, to relieve your homelessness.  Your “Personal Housing Plan”, will have steps you and the Council will take, to help you to secure somewhere else to live. This will include exploring the possibility of finding private rented housing which is:

• Affordable
• The right size
• In the right condition
• In a suitable location

Temporary accommodation

If at this time you need temporary accommodation, the Council will provide it should you be in Priority Need.

The law states that certain people have a priority need. Some examples of people who are considered to be in priority need are:

• Those who have children
• Those who are pregnant
• Those who are considered to be vulnerable. This could be for a variety of reasons, young people, old age, mental or physical illness or disability
• Those who are vulnerable as a result of losing their accommodation due to violence or threats of violence 
• Those who are experience Domestic abuse
• Those who are fleeing modern slavery
• Former members of the Armed forces, ex-prisoners may also be considered vulnerable and so in Priority Need in some circumstances

If, after working with us for 56 days, you haven’t found somewhere else to live, we need to decide if we have a duty to make you a direct offer of accommodation. We would have this duty if you are in priority need, and are not intentionally homeless (people who are intentionally homeless are people who have deliberately done something, or failed to do something, that results in them losing their accommodation).

Any offer we make may be in the private sector, but again, we will be sure it is suitable accommodation. Each case is assessed individually. Please speak to a Housing Options Officer for more advice.

In an emergency between 5pm and 8am please call 07736 826025 to speak to an Officer.