This is a web version of our Homelessness interview and assessment factsheet (PDF, 148.78 KB).
The information on this page was correct at the time of publication (11 December 2024).
Homelessness help from us
We give free advice to anyone in the UK. However, the housing support we can give you depends on your circumstances and our statutory duties.
Information about the help we can offer is on our Homelessness page.
Your first interview with us
- To help us understand your current circumstances, you will do an interview with us
- We will ask you questions about yourself and the people in your household. This will help us decide the kind of help we must give you.
- We will need to know your immigration status, if you have a place to live, and the needs of you and members of your household
- We might also do an assessment to check if you must get housing from us
What happens during an assessment?
- To help you, we must understand your housing and personal needs
- We will ask you for proof of your identity and your circumstances. We will also contact people you know for proof.
What you must do
- Make sure we have your email address and phone number to contact you
- If we ask for information and evidence, please reply as soon as you can
- Provide documents and evidence. If you do not have these, you must tell us why.
- Give us signed consent for us to use your data for our investigations
- Understand that we could contact your landlord or host family, health professionals, people you know, and relevant organisations to help us assess your case
- Tell us if your needs and household circumstances change
- Continue to find your own housing while we try to help you
After the assessment
- We will agree a Personal Housing Plan (PHP) with you
- Your PHP will tell you what you must do – and what we must do – so that you are no longer homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
- We will update you about the progress of your homelessness application
- We will write to you with the outcome to your application after we reach a decision
Will we give you somewhere to live?
- Applying for homelessness help does not mean that we will house you
- In an emergency, we might find you a very basic room. You might live in a hostel with little space and nowhere to cook.
- You could stay in emergency accommodation until we decide if we have a legal duty to help or house you
- You might also have to go to temporary accommodation that is not in Enfield
- Being homeless does not mean we must offer you social housing (for example, a council home)
- The housing we offer you is not free. You will need to pay your own bills and accommodation charge.
Avoiding arrears
- Your welfare benefits might not cover your full accommodation charge. You must check, and pay for, any difference so that you are paying your full accommodation charge.
- If you do not pay the money you owe, you could ‘be in arrears’
- If you are in arrears, you could be evicted. We could also end our duty to house you. This means you would need to find somewhere else to live.
Where is the housing we offer?
- If we offer you longer term housing, you might have to move far away from Enfield. You will only get one offer of suitable housing from us.
- We house people where rents are low and affordable. So, you could be offered housing anywhere in the UK.
How to contact us
- Please email or phone your housing officer. They should respond within 5 working days.
- The council’s phone lines can be very busy. You should contact your housing officer before you try to call us.
- You can find out more about the homelessness help we offer on our Homelessness page.