Homelessness advice and support

Homelessness

If you think you may become homeless you should seek advice as soon as possible. You can do this by contacting our Housing Options and Advice Team at John Wilkes House, who offer free housing advice on housing matters to residents within the borough.

When you seek advice you should bring any documents that relate to your situation, for example :

• A copy of your tenancy agreement
• Bank Statements
• Birth certificate(s)
• Home Office letter
• Passport
• Proof of homelessness (eg court order)
• Proof of income/benefit
• Utility bills
• Correspondence from Landlord / Housing Benefit / Solicitor

When we interview homeless or potentially homeless households it is with a view to keep them in their existing property or to offer alternative housing options.

If homelessness cannot be prevented or you are already homeless, we will assess your case to see how we can help.

Unfortunately, we cannot house everyone who is homeless and we use legal guidelines to decide who will be housed. Even then, you are likely to spend many years in temporary accommodation, so we will also offer you the option of housing in the private rented sector via our Homefinders Scheme.

Homefinders will give you more choice about where you live, how much rent you pay, and what type of accommodation you can get. For further information, please visit the Homefinders page.