If you think that you are threatened with homelessness or want to apply to join our housing register, we will assess your housing application to determine what assistance or advice we can provide. We will investigate your homelessness application and make a final decision on whether the council accepts a duty towards you and how we will discharge that duty.

Despite the serious housing shortage in this area we are determined to do all that we can to help find you a home. We will try to help you regardless of whether we accept that you are homeless. We call this our housing options Service and every person who approaches us with a housing problem will receive help on the options available to them.

What service do we offer?

We appreciate this is a difficult time for you and we will do all we can to help.
Our Duties towards homeless people are set out in law.
If you apply to the Homeless Persons Unit, we will carry out an assessment interview and decide how we can help you.
We have to consider whether we have a legal duty towards you, and:
- If so, how we will fulfil that duty
- If not, how else we can help you.

Please remember that, even if you think you are homeless or threatened with homelessness, we might not have legal duty to find you a home. And even if we agree that we have a duty towards you, we might not be able to give you the type of home you would like.

However, we will try to do all we can to help you find a home, despite the serious housing shortage in this area and weather or not we accept that you are homeless under our Housing options Service everyone who approaches us with a housing problem will receive help on the options available to them.

What happens first if I think I may be homeless?

First you will have an interview with a Housing Options Officer who will decide if you need to see an Assessment Officer, who normally becomes your caseworker. S/he will be responsible for making enquires into your application, and will tell you when this has been done and what the decision is. You will be given a card with your caseworkers name and office telephone number.

You should contact them about anything to do with your application. Either telephone your caseworker, or make an appointment to see them at the office. If you want to see them in person you will need an appointment, as they may not be available without notice.

If there is any change in your situation between your first interview and our decision, you MUST tell your caseworker immediately.