Housing > Homeless >
Homelessness - advice and support
Sub-Regional Homelessness Strategy:
In October 2006, the Department for Communities and Local Government announced plans to change the way local authorities work. They published a White Paper "Strong and prosperous communities" that aimed to improve local government and give local people and local communities more influence and power to improve their lives. This included inviting proposals for reorganising two-tier local government areas into one unitary authority. Following consideration of the proposals from the District Councils in County Durham and Durham County Council, the Government confirmed on 5th December 2007 that there was to be a single unitary council for County Durham established by 2009. From April 2009 housing and homelessness services will be delivered by the new authority, presenting challenges and opportunities for service delivery in these areas, including building upon the excellent services provided across the county, and addressing areas of unmet need to ensure all those in housing need have access to services and opportunities to prevent homelessness, offer suitable housing solutions and support to create sustainable tenancies.
In response to this challenge, County Durham Homelessness Action Partnership agreed to develop a sub-regional homelessness strategy. This document represents the strategic vision for services across the new unitary authority from April 2009 to meet housing needs across a diverse geographical and demographic area.
To keep you informed of the work of the current housing options service, our action plan from April 2008 to March 2009 is attached.
Click on the link for the current draft of the Sub-Regional Homelessness Strategy . The document is currently open for consultation and comments are welcome. Please click on this link for the consultation questionnaire.
We have attached for your information, the City of Durham's current Homelessness Stratergy 2003-2008.
The Homelessness Process
Whether you qualify as a homeless person for housing depends on your individual circumstances. The Housing Act 1996 Part VII, as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002, sets out the legal duties of local authorities towards people who are homeless or about to be made homeless. However, the Council does not have to provide permanent housing to all homeless people.
THE SOONER YOU COME TO US FOR ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE THE BETTER
We will only be able to offer you a permanent home if:
You are eligible for consideration and are habitually resident within the UK
There are exceptions to this and these will be discussed with you during your interview.
You are homeless or threatened with homelessness within 28 days
- There is nowhere in the UK or elsewhere that you and your family can stay together; or
- Your home is a caravan or houseboat …
- You are at risk of violence if you remain in your home.
- You have a home in which it is not reasonable for you to occupy.
You have a priority need if
- You have a dependent child aged 16 years or under, or aged 17 to 18 and still in further education
- Vulnerable as a result of old age, mental illness or handicap or physical disability or other special reason
- Vulnerable as a result of violence or threats of violence
- Vulnerable as a result of having been a member of HM regular naval, military or air forces
- Vulnerable as a result of:
- Having served a custodial sentence
- Having been committed for contempt of court
- Having been remanded in custody
You either have a ‘local connection’ with the area of not local connection with any other Council
- Your close relatives, such as mum, dad, brother or sister, have lived in the City of Durham district for the past five years; or
If you have no local connection, we will refer you to another area where you have connections, if it is safe for you to go there.
What am I entitled to if accepted as homeless?
You will be interviewed by an experienced Homelessness Officer who will conduct full enquiries on behalf of the Council. The Homelessness Officer will be your point of contact throughout your application. It is important that you comply with the Homelessness Officer’s request for information from you.
If, after carrying out enquiries, the Homelessness Officer determines that you are not owed a duty under the current housing legislation, usually due to you being either intentionally homeless, not homeless, ineligible, or not in priority need, then you have the right to request a review of that decision. All reviews of homelessness decisions are undertaken by an independent officer, who is senior to the officer who made the decision, and who was not connected with the original decision.
You can request a review of your homeless application decision and also you have the right to request a review of the suitability of the accommodation, regardless of whether you have accepted or refused the offer.
Who do I need to contact?
If you are made homeless outside our opening times, you can contact our Emergency Out of Hours Services on 0191 3866111.
What Documents will I need to bring?
- Birth certificates …
- Home Office letter …
- Proof of pregnancy (this must be the MATB1)
- A copy of any Notice to Quit or Notice of Seeking Possession your accommodation
Who do I need to contact?
The Housing Options Officer works at 17 Claypath, Durham City and is available;
Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5.00pm Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm
Please contact 0191 301 8499 for an appointment
Emergency Out of Hours number 0191 3866111
Domestic Violence
What is domestic violence?
Domestic violence covers a range of situations where one person in some way harms another person, with whom they have some pre-existing relationship. Domestic violence can therefore be one person physically attacking another or it may be another form of abuse such as pestering with phone calls, installing a lover in the family home, or putting superglue in the locks of the victim's car doors. For the above actions to be counted as domestic violence, the victim and the perpetrator must have had some form of relationship, but they do not need to be heterosexual partners and they need not live in the same property. If you are the victim of a violent relationship, get immediate practical advice on the options available, which may be to:-
- attempt to stop the violence and stay with the perpetrator of the violence
- leave home temporarily
- leave home permanently
- stay in the present home and get the perpetrator of the violence to leave
- take legal action
Please take the time to look at our Domestic Violence Leaflet that has useful contact numbers on and where to get help and support from.
Helpful Homeless Organisations
Please click on the attached link for homeless organisations which may be able to give you further advice and information with regards to your situation.
*The City of Durham Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Help now you've got your home
Floating Support is a service which is free to tenants and which offers practical assistance and advice to help you to maintain your tenancy. It is called Floating Support because it is independent of the housing provider and because it is not permanent - it is there when you need it. It is your personal support and is fitted to what you need to start off or to keep your tenancy. There is no charge to you for this service, and it can be either short term or long term depending on your needs.
You can access these floating support services by either being referred from the City of Durham council or via self referral. Please use the following document to refer yourself to any of these providers.
Floating Support Common Referral Form
Below is a link to all the floating support providers websites. Please visit the sites to find out what type of support can be accessed.
*The City of Durham Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Community Legal Advice
Community Legal Advice is a free, independent and confidential advice service paid for by Legal Aid. It is a key part of the Legal Services Commission's strategy to deliver improved access to justice. They give independent advice over the phone to people who live on a low income or benefits about debt, education, benefits and tax credits, employment and housing problems. the service is available in England and Wales, Monday to Friday, 9am-6.30pm. Please visit the site to find out more info and to see if you qualify.
*The City of Durham Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Joint Protocol
Homelessness support service for 16/17 year olds is an agreement between a number of agencies to work together to meet the needs of 16/17 year olds experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Partners to the protocol in Durham City are the Local Authority Housing Department, Children and Young Peoples Services Children in Need Teams and Emergency Duty Teams, Connexions County Durham, Youth Engagement Service and Moving On. The Joint Protocol aims to increase joint working to meet the needs of 16/17 year olds, improve communication between agencies, prevent homelessness, ensure 16/17 year olds get the support they need and access appropriate and suitable accommodation.
Joint Protocol - Guide for Parents
Joint Protocol - Guide of Young People
*The City of Durham Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Housing allocations - allocation system
The Council holds a Housing Register of applicants. This register is used to make allocations to housing stock owned by the City of Durham Council and provide nominations to rented housing owned by Registered Social Landlords.
Any person over the age of 16 years may apply on the Housing Register.
The Allocations Policy is based on housing need and applicants are placed in one of the following five bands:-
Band A Urgent Housing Need
Band B High Housing Need
Band C Medium Housing Need
Band D Low Housing Need
Band E No Priority
Each band contains a set of criteria. Applications are assessed in terms of circumstances and placed in the highest band which their circumstances allow Within each band applicants are ranked in order of the date their application was accepted into the band.
For further information regarding the Council's Allocations Policy, please refer to the Summary document below.
Housing Allocations Policy - A Summary
Other documents that can help with Homelessness
Renting a room in someones house
You should read this booklet if you rent (or are thinking of renting) in a property where the landlord also lives. In law, a resident landlord letting is one where the landlord and the person he or she lets to live in the samebuilding. This includes conversions where they live in different parts of the same property (however long ago it was converted).
Do you rent, or are you thinking or renting, from a private landlord
What is the law? When can I be asked to leave?Do I have to leave? Am I entitled to a written tenancy agreement? Can I leave during the tenancy? Can I get help with the rent? What happens if I get into rent arrears? What if my housing benefit is delayed? What can I do if I think the rent is too high? As a tenant what am I responsible for? What is the landlord responsible for? What can I do if my landlord tries to evict me illegally or is harassing me?
What is the law? How would I get my property back? What if the tenant won't leave the property? Why not leave my property empty? What are my responsibilities? What about my tax position?
Assured and Assured Shorthold Tenancies, guide for landlords
Introduction to assured and shorthold tenancies, Differences between an assured and a shorthold tenancy, How to set up a tenancy, Landlord and tenant responsibilities and rights, What to do when a tenancy ends, How to end a tenancy, Increasing the rent and varying the terms of a tenancy, Succession rights, joint tenancies, subletting, Housing benefit, Tax on rental income, Getting advice.
Assured and Assured Shorthold Tenancies, guide for tenants
Introduction to assured and shorthold tenancies, Differences between an assured and a shorthold tenancy, How a tenancy is agreed, Landlord and tenant responsibilities and rights, What happens when a tenancy ends, When can I be asked to leave the property, Rent increases and varying the terms of a tenancy, Succession rights, joint tenancies, subletting, Housing benefit, Harassment and illegal eviction, Getting advice.
You should read this booklet if you are letting (or thinking of letting) part of your only or main home. In law, a resident landlord letting is one where the landlord and the person he or she lets to live in the same building. This includes conversions where they live in different parts of the same property (however long ago it was converted).
The Protection from Eviction Act 1977, Is this harassment? Illegal eviction, Further Information.
This booklet tells you about landlords' and tenants responsibilities for repairs under short (less than seven years) leases of residential property.
*The City of Durham Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Contact Us
|
Lynette Goodhall Housing Options Officer - 0191 301 8532 Lgoodhall@durhamcity.gov.uk |
|
Natalie Bloomfield Housing Options Officer - 0191 301 8740 Nbloomfield@durhamcity.gov.uk |
|
Mark Hopper Housing Options Assistant - 0191 301 8649 Mhopper@durhamcity.gov.uk |
|
Kim Corfield Senior Strategy and Development Officer - 0191 301 8481 Kcorfield@durhamcity.gov.uk |
|
Joanne Rouse Senior Strategy and Development Officer - 0191 301 8480 Jrouse@durhamcity.gov.uk |
Links to useful Websites
National Domestic Violence Helpline
*The City of Durham Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Other pages you may find useful
Contact Details
For further information or specific help with information on this page, please contact us:
City of Durham CityInfo
Telephone: 0191 301 8499 or Fax: 0191 301 8555
Fill out a contact form
In an emergency, outside of office hours, please call 0191 386 6111