Jackie Lees

Shelter London Advice Services

Housing Options

Housing Options Family and friends Private renting Owner occupation Shared ownership Social housing Hostels Refuges Sheltered housing

Safety net accommodation

Temporary accommodation for the homeless – homeless application

Residential care through social services – community care assessment

Homeless acceptances England

Five tests of homelessness

HOMELESSNESS – legal definition

A person is homeless if there is nowhere in the world that :

they have a legal right to occupy and

is available for their whole householdand

is reasonable for them to continue to occupy

A person is threatened with homelessness if they are likely to become homeless within 28 days

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QUIZ: Who is automatically in priority need?

Can you identify the correct five cards?

Automatic priority need

Homelessness and allocations

QUIZ: Localism – which is true?

1. Councils will no longer use temporary accommodation because they will only use the private rented sector to house homeless people

2. Councils will have to house someone again if they become homeless after two years of accepting PRS housing

3. The priority need categories are changing

PRS

Post localism

Access to ‘permanent’ social housing

Demand for social housing

Who gets social housing?

You need to look at the local authority allocations policy – and remember, they are all different!

Apply to join the housing register – bid or wait for offer

QUIZ: What difference does localism make?

1. No difference at all2. Local authorities can choose who to allow

onto the housing register3. Local authorities will have greater powers

to suspend people on the housing register

LB Barnet

Who is this for? Examples

Band 1 People who need a home urgently Life threatening medical condition and cannot remain in own home

Band 2 People who need a home and do something for the community

A working family with low paid jobs, with young children, who are about to become homeless

Band 3 People who need a home but no community contribution award

A non working family with three children in a one bed flat

Band 4 People who need housing but have lower priority

People who have rent arrears and people with no priority need as homeless

And what will you get?

Lifetime or fixed term tenancySocial or affordable rent

Shelter London Advice Services Provide free, confidential and independent housing advice

To anyone who is homeless or experiencing housing problems within the London area

We can advise on:

Tenancy problems

Disrepair

Illegal eviction

Neighbour nuisance

Housing benefit

Homelessness and unsuitable housing

Mortgage problems

Possession action

Domestic violence

Housing register

Surgeries for face to face advice

Any questions?