Homelessness and Emergency Housing

The first step you need to take if you want to approach the Council for help, is to complete our Housing Assistance Referral form. It may be that an organisation (e.g. the British Legion, Shelter etc) you are working with can make a referral to us on your behalf which there is also the option to do. Advise them to see Making a referral. We will look at the information you provide and may need to see/speak to you.

We will assess what duty is owed ‘Prevention Duty’ or ‘Relief Duty’ - there is an explanation of these duties at Homeless/Threatened with homelessness. Under the ‘Relief Duty’, If the Council think that you might be what is called in ‘priority need’ we have a duty to provide you with interim accommodation whilst the Relief Duty runs and we make enquiries into your homelessness. At the end of the Relief Duty, if we find that you are eligible, homeless, in priority need and that you have not made yourself intentionally homeless then the Council is legally obliged to secure accommodation for you.

For individuals who have been in the army we may need to look at the following areas to help us decide whether you are in priority need:

• How long you were in the forces for and what role you had
• If you spent any time in military hospital
• If you were released from services on medical grounds
• If you have had accommodation since leaving the service and if you have been able to obtain or maintain accommodation since you left
• How long it has been since you left service
• If you have been injured during service

We may need to see medical evidence from the MOD including a Medical History Release Form

The following organisations may be able to help if you find yourself homeless or are threatened with homelessness:

• The Royal British Legion
• SSAFA
• Veterans Housing Advice (VHA)