Homelessness

Young and Homeless
> Local Authorities have a duty to give you advice and assistance if you are homeless, and may have to rehouse you if you are homeless through no fault of your own and in ‘priority need’.
> If you have a legal right to be helped, local authorities currently have a duty to provide you with accommodation for two years.
> What you will get will depend on the area you are in and could range from a hostel to a long-term council or housing association property. Some councils may put you somewhere temporary, like a bed and breakfast, while they find you somewhere to stay.
> If you don’t have the legal right to this help, councils need only provide advice and assistance – and this could be as little as a list of hostels in the area.

Help from the Housing Department
> Some young people have the right to be housed by the council.
> Housing legislation says that to qualify for council housing, you must be homeless without choosing to be.
> In addition the council will only house you if they consider you to be particularly vulnerable. You may be classed as vulnerable because of your age, or because you have children or if you are disabled.

Applying to the Council as Homeless
If you are homeless, you should go to the homeless person’s section in your borough, and say you want to make an application as a homeless person.

The important thing to remember when you are applying as homeless is that your personal situation should be looked into. Your local borough council have a duty to make enquires about your situation and will inform you who they will be contacting and why. Decisions should be made as quickly as possible and if there are any delays they should explain why. A Housing Department can’t just tell you to go to social services or turn you away by saying that it doesn’t help young people. If this happens you should get advice, as you may be able to get them to change their decision.

When you make an application as a homeless person it’s good idea to take along a friend, relative or an advice worker, for help and support.

You should also take along any identification that you have and proof of income. If not, the council might ask you to come back another time with this information, which will cause delays.

The council has to look at whether you are;
> Homeless
> Are eligible for help
> Are in ‘priority need’

If you fit into all these categories, the council may have a duty to accommodate you temporarily while it makes enquires into the rest of your circumstances. If not, it will just give advice or very short term accommodation

Click on: 
www.housemate.org.uk
www.shelternet.org.uk
www.homelesspages.org.uk

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