Housing can be complex and confusing, especially if you’re stressed about being homeless or about to lose your home.
Here is some information to help make it more clear what your options are and how to take your next steps towards finding a home.
What types of housing might the council offer me?
Emergency accommodation
Who is it for?
The council must offer you emergency accommodation if you are eligible, homeless and priority need. If the council needs more time to assess your situation, but thinks you might be priority need, they must offer you emergency accommodation.
If you are not priority need, it is very unlikely you’ll be offered emergency accommodation.
What kind of accommodation is it?
You might be offered:
- a hotel or bed and breakfast
- a hostel or refuge.
If you’re 16 or 17, you should not be offered accommodation in a bed and breakfast.
You still have to pay for emergency accommodation but if you are on a low income, you may be able to claim Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.
How long could I be in emergency accommodation?
It’s likely to be for a couple of nights, but sometimes it might be a few weeks.
How do I get it?
The council allocates emergency housing. You will need to have made a homeless application to be considered for it.
To find your local council enter your postcode here.
What else do I need to know?
Emergency housing is often a lower standard than temporary and longer-term housing.
If you don’t accept it, you may have your homeless application closed, which means the council won’t help you find somewhere to live.
If you are worried about the safety or location of the accommodation you’ve been offered, speak to the council and ask if it’s possible to be moved.
Find out more about emergency accommodation or what to do if you are rough sleeping. Contact us if you’d like to talk through your options.
Temporary accommodation
Who is it for?
When the council has assessed your homeless application, it must offer you temporary accommodation if it finds you to be eligible, homeless and priority need.
What kind of accommodation is it?
You might be offered:
- a hostel or refuge
- a room in a shared private house
- accommodation in a council or housing association property, or a private rented home.
The council must try to find you accommodation in their area, and take things into account like your support network and, if you have children, where their school is. If there’s not enough local housing, they might offer you accommodation in another council area.
You still have to pay for temporary accommodation but if you are on low income, you may be able to claim Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.
How long could I be in temporary accommodation?
Usually between six months to two years, depending on your local council and how quickly you can move into longer-term accommodation.
The quickest way to find longer-term accommodation is likely to be through private rentals.
How do I get it?
The council allocates temporary housing. You will need to have made a homeless application to be considered for it.
To find your local council enter your postcode here.
What else do I need to know?
If you turn down temporary accommodation, the council may refuse to offer you anything else. The general advice is always to accept it and challenge it later. The exception to this is if you are at risk of harm in the accommodation. Then you should contact the council immediately.
While you are living in temporary accommodation, there may be conditions which the council expect you to stick to, like staying at the property every night or not having people stay over. If you break these conditions, the council can evict you.