Living in homelessness accommodation

Moving on to a home you can afford

Please do not wait for us to find you a home.

To take control of your housing, you could:

• rent a home nationwide
• increase your housing options by registering with our housing partners
• find a private home to rent and get one month’s rent and deposit from our Find Your Own Home scheme
• consider shared ownership and other ways to buy a home

Common questions from our homeless residents

Do I need to pay rent?

Yes. You must pay your own rent (‘accommodation charge’) for your emergency or temporary accommodation.

Will I get a council house?

If we have a statutory duty to offer you housing, that housing will be private-rented accommodation.

Being homeless does not mean you will get social housing or a council home (Localism Act 2011).

Also, if you are eligible for council housing, you could wait a long time. For example, the wait for a 3-bedroom council property is 15 years.

Will I have to move away from London?

To help you live in a settled home, we will consider your household’s needs and the rent you can afford.

Enfield, and most of London, has high rents and few affordable homes. This means the accommodation we offer you could be anywhere in the UK and might not be in London.

What should I do if I do not want to move?

If you do not want to accept the home we offer you, please don’t refuse it immediately.

You must contact us first to tell us what you are worried about.

Why? Because you will only get one offer of ‘suitable’ accommodation from us. So, if you refuse our offer, we do not have to make you another offer of housing.

Also, if you refuse our offer, we can end our homelessness duties and close your homelessness case. You might then have to find somewhere else to live.

After you accept our offer of settled housing – if the home is not suitable for your needs – you can request a review of our decision. You must request a review within 21 days of getting our offer letter.

How long could I stay in emergency or temporary accommodation?

If you are eligible for housing support from us, you might have to stay in very basic accommodation like a hotel until we can find you a suitable home.

Your hotel stay should not be longer than 6 weeks.

Please do not wait for us to offer you a home. Instead, you should register with our housing partners and do your own search for a home you can afford.

The housing crisis makes it hard to find affordable rented housing in Enfield. You could stay in temporary accommodation for a long time before we can find you a suitable home in the borough.

Also, it is likely that you will have to live outside of London. To understand how we find and offer you a suitable home, please read our housing placement policy.

How do I report noise, nuisance or antisocial behaviour?

If you experience antisocial behaviour at your accommodation, please contact your housing provider. You can also contact the police.

Paying for your accommodation and avoiding arrears

Who pays your rent?

You must pay your own rent (‘accommodation charge’). The council does not pay your rent.

Your welfare benefits might not cover your full rent. You must check, and pay for, any difference so that you are paying all your rent.

What happens if you do not pay your rent?

You must avoid owing rent (‘getting into arrears’).

If you do not pay your rent, you could be evicted. We could also end our duty to house you. You would need to find somewhere else to live.

How you can get help paying your rent

Do not wait until you miss a payment. Get help to pay your housing costs.

You can claim Housing Benefit if you are in Enfield Council temporary accommodation.

However – even if you claim welfare benefits – you must check your payments are being made in full and on time.

Are you already in arrears?

For advice on ways to pay money you owe for your temporary accommodation, please:

• email incomerecoveryteam@enfield.gov.uk
• phone 020 8379 1000

Renting from Enfield Let Accredited Agents

If your rental agreement says ‘Housing Gateway Limited trading as Enfield Let Accredited Agents’:

• you cannot apply for temporary accommodation Housing Benefit
• instead of Housing Benefit, you should apply for the housing costs element of Universal Credit
• to get advice about paying your arrears, please email el.rent@housinggateway.co.uk or phone 020 3880 2113

How to request a repair (homelessness accommodation residents)

This information is only for people who live in homelessness accommodation arranged by Enfield Council.

To request repairs for plumbing or other property problems, please email tapropertymanagement@enfield.gov.uk.

For emergency repairs, you can phone us on 020 8379 4523 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).

For out-of-hours emergency repairs, you can phone 020 8379 1000.

Our statutory duties and placement policy

Our statutory duties

The homelessness support we provide depends on your circumstances, and our statutory homelessness duties.

Our national housing placement policy

If we have a duty to offer you housing, we will only make one offer of accommodation. You might have to move outside of London to somewhere farther away where you can afford to pay your rent.

Further advice and support for homeless residents

Our homelessness factsheets

We have homelessness factsheets on topics including assessments and homelessness help. They give short answers to common questions. They also have links to support and advice.

Money and renting

You can get free advice on dealing with money and debt problems.

To help you check how much rent you can afford, try Money Helper’s practical guide on renting.

Look after your mental health and wellbeing

If you are worried about your mental health, speak to your GP.

And if you need urgent mental health help, but it’s not an emergency, you can call 111 or use NHS 111 online.

You can also contact the Samaritans on their website or phone them on 116 123. Calls are free and anonymous. You can call at any time of the day or night.

Safer sleeping for babies and children

We encourage families – especially those with babies and younger children – to follow safer sleeping advice from the Lullaby Trust and other reliable sources. You should also ask for support from your health visitor or midwife.

The Lullaby Trust is a good place to start for advice on keeping a baby safe. For example, you can download a visual guide to safer sleeping in emergency situations.

Local support and other advice

• Free support from services and homelessness charities in Enfield
• Get help to have enough food
• Energy-saving and lower utility bills
• Getting a new job or gaining new job skills