Advice / Housing advice

Homelessness doesn't mean that you have no where to sleep - It means that you don't have a home. Many homeless people are crashing on mate's floors or sofas, perhaps they've got a car or caravan to sleep in and maybe they've just been sleeping here or there for a while.

If you are homeless or are thinking about leaving home what are your options?

There are three main ways to obtain permanent accommodation:-

Council Housing

You could apply to your council and ask to be placed in one of there properties. This is the cheapest and most stable way of finding accommodation, it is also the most difficult. Because council rents are fairly cheap lots of people want to live in them and there aren't that many compared to how many people want them. If you apply to the council you will have a very long wait for a place, probably a few years, many people jump the queue because they have special circumstances:

• Poor physical, mental or emotional health.
• Pregnant or have children.
• Elderly.
• Aged Under 18.

But you also have to be able to show the council that you haven't made yourself intentionally homeless by leaving your home of your own free will or deliberately doing something to jeopardise your home (E.g. not paying the rent). There are some exceptions to this for example having to leave your home through the threat of violence. This is a complicated area so get some help.

So which council do you apply to? Unfortunately you don't have much choice. You have to apply to the council that you have a connection with, you were living there previously, your family live there, you work or go to college there or you've been sleeping there, unless you are fleeing violence when you can apply to any Local Authority.

Many people ask about Housing Associations. Most Housing Associations take names off the Council Waiting List. However there are some that you can apply directly to, most of these are fairly small local ones which you can find out about from your local advice centre.

If you are granted council accommodation and are on State Benefits, Housing Benefit will usually cover most of your rent, but you may have to pay a small contribution.

Renting Privately

When you want to rent a flat privately you will need a deposit usually One month or six weeks rent plus another months rent in advance. If you're on State Benefits you may be able to claim Housing Benefit to cover your rent, however it's unlikely that Housing Benefit will cover all of your rent, if you're single & Under 25 they usually pay about £60.00 per week at the most. The difference you will have to find yourself. Also some Landlords won't take people who intend to claim Housing Benefit - so it can be difficult to find somewhere. It is important that you seek advice before signing any tenancy agreements.

Hostels

If you are homeless another option may be to try and find a space in a hostel. Hostels are usually run by small independent charities and can be accessed through most advice centres. Spaces are rare, it is usually free to stay if you are on State Benefits (you will need proof) and some hostels have a maximum stay some you can stay in for as long as you want. Most hostels offer key workers who will help you find further accommodation after your stay at the hostel has finished. Be warned some hostels will not always be appropriate for you. In some you may get offered a permanent place after a couple of months, some may take longer, some may not have permanent placements available. Some hostels allow you to take your pets with you. It can take a long time to find a hostel suitable for you.

If you have a CAT reference, or SST reference (a reference number given to rough sleepers if they are found by workers from a homelessness assessment team) obtaining a place in a hostel is easier. Most hostels give priority to those people who have CAT references.

If you are homeless consider your options carefully and get some advice. Advice centres can help with applications to the council and search for vacancies on hostel registers.

Other useful contacts

Cricklewood homeless concern
020 8208 1608
60 Ashford Road
London
NW2 6TU

Shelter
Freephone 0808 800 4444
www.shelter.org.uk

New Horizon Youth Centre
020 7388 5560
www.newhorizonyouthcentre.org.uk

Homeless Pages
www.homelesspages.org.uk