How will the council help me if I am homeless?

Here is a rough guide to how the council will decide if they consider you homeless and whether you are eligible for help. Even if you aren't offered somewhere to live, the Housing Options Team will advise you on other organisaations that can help you.

*A recent ruling by the House of Lords means that young people aged 16 or 17 who become homeless will be assessed by Children & Young People's Services. If they are shown to be 'in need', they will be accommodated and supported under the terms of the Children Act. If the assessment shows that the only need the young person has is to be housed, they will be referred to the local Housing Department.

When you approach the Council as homeless a Housing Officer will talk to you about your circumstances and how you have come to be in the situation you are in. They have to decide whether or not you are homeless or threatened with homelessness according to the Council's definition.

Broxtowe Borough Council consider you to be homeless if:

• You have no accommodation which you are legally able to live in, in the UK or elsewhere, or;
• You are fleeing domestic violence or threats of this, or;
• You are in fear of violence from outside your home, or;
• Your family is forced to live apart.

You are eligible for help from the Council if:

• You are a British Citizen, or;
• A Commonwealth Citizen who has the right to live in the UK, or;
• A citizen of a country within the European Economic Area.

You might not be eligible for assistance if you haven't lived in the UK, ROI, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for the last 5 years and you aren't considered to be a settled resident here; or if you have claimed asylum since arriving in the country and your application is still being considered by the Home Office.

If the Housing Officer considers you to be homeless and in priority need you may be offered Emergency Interim Accommodation while further consideration is given to your case.

You are considered to be in priority need if:

• You have at least one dependent child, or;
• You are pregnant, or;
• You have become homeless because of domestic violence, or;
• You have become homeless as a result of a disaster like fire or flood, or;
• You are vulnerable due to:
• Old age
• Being 16 or 17 years old
• Being between 18 and 21 and previously in care
• Mental illness or handicap
• Physical disability
• Being a victim of violence or harrassment
• Being a former member of the armed forces
• Being a former prisoner
• Any other special reason that makes you vulnerable

The Housing Officer will check that you have a local connection to the area. If they think your connection to a different area is stronger, they will ask that Council to help you instead. The Council will NOT refer you to an area where you would be at risk of violence.

Back to Where to get help in Broxtowe