Homeless Frequently Asked Questions

Am I homeless?

You do not have to be sleeping on the streets to be considered homeless. You are able to get help if:

• You have somewhere to live but cannot stay there because you are worried about your safety e.g. threats/actual violence, abuse or harassment
• You have nowhere to live in the UK or abroad
• You are living in temporary accommodation
• You are likely to become homeless within 28 days e.g. a court has ruled that you must leave your accommodation.
• You have a Court Order asking you to leave your home

Does the Council have a duty to find me a home?

By law, the Council should help if you satisfy all of the following:

• You are eligible for assistance
• Homeless
• In priority need
• You are not intentionally homeless
• You have a close connection with the District

If the Council decides that you are eligible for assistance, homeless, in priority need and not intentionally homeless (provided your case is not referred to another Authority because you do not have a local connection), the Council has a duty to ensure you have accommodation (until the duty owed to you stops).

Am I eligible for assistance?

Your eligibility will depend on your immigration status.

Most UK residents are eligible for assistance. However, there are some circumstances where you might not qualify. These include:

• You are a visitor to the country
• Overseas student or sponsored immigrant
• Illegal immigrant
• Person seeking Asylum
• Asylum to this country is refused
• Not a habitual resident of this country
• The Home Secretary has informed you that you do not have the right to stay in this country.

Do I have a priority need for housing?

You are in priority need if you satisfy one of the following:

• Pregnant or a member of your household (who is eligible for assistance) is pregnant
• 16 – 17 years of age
• You have dependant children
• You are homeless because of fire, flood or similar disaster.

You or a member of the household is vulnerable due to:

• Old Age
• 18-21 years of age and previously been in Social Services Care
• Previous member of the Armed Forces
• Left your home due to domestic abuse
• Mental Illness / Physical disability
• Another special reason

Am I intentionally homeless?

You are considered to be intentionally homeless if you lost your permanent home because of something you did or failed to do. You can also be found intentionally homeless if you did not take up alternative accommodation made available for your use. Examples include:

• You have been evicted from your home (or your property was repossessed) because you failed to pay your rent/mortgage even though you were able to.
• You decided to leave your current home without sufficient reason and the current accommodation can only be considered temporary.
• You were evicted from your home because of nuisance, anti-social behaviour or domestic abuse (from you to another family member).

Do I have a connection to Rochford District?

Rochford District Council will assess you as having a connection to the District providing you can prove at least one of the following:

• You have lived in the District for at least six months during the last year.
• You have lived in the District for at least three of the last five years.
• You have a close relative who lives in the District and has done so for at least the last five years (relative must be either Mother, Father, Brother, Sister, or adult child)
• You have a permanent job in the District
• You have a local connection to the area for another special reason.

What will happen in my homeless interview?

A member of the Homelessness and Housing Advice Team will interview you to decide what (if any) duty the Council has to you and if you should be provided with emergency accommodation.

As part of the application process you will need to provide supporting documentation. In order to avoid delays, it is important to bring all requested documents to the interview.

What types of supporting documentation will I need for my Homeless interview?

To prepare for your homeless interview, it is important to bring as many forms of supporting evidence as possible; examples of necessary documents required can be found on the link below.

How long will it take to reach a decision on my Homeless Application?

The Council’s aim is to investigate and conclude an application within 33 working days.

What if I don’t agree with the decision reached on my application?

If you are not satisfied with the decision reached, you have the right to request a review. This must be made in writing highlighting the grounds for your request (why) and within 21 days of the original decision being made.

The review will be undertaken by a senior member of staff and will not involve the staff member who investigated your original application.

If you do not agree with the review decision, you can appeal to a panel of Councillors.

You also have the right of appeal to the County Court on a point of law.

What temporary accommodation is available?

The Council has access to different types of temporary accommodation. However, it does have to use Bed and Breakfast accommodation when all other units are occupied.

What will happen if I refuse an offer of accommodation?

Where the Council owes you a full homelessness duty, you will only be offered one suitable property. If you do not accept it, your homeless duty ceases. In effect you will be considered intentionally homeless. However, if you think the property was not suitable for your needs, you can request a review. This must be made in writing highlighting why you declined the property and within 21 days of the offer being made.

How long will I be in temporary accommodation?

If you are offered temporary accommodation, you will stay there until one of the following happens:

• You are offered another temporary home
• A suitable, longer term property is offered to you
• You are able to find somewhere else to live
• You are evicted from your temporary accommodation because you broke a condition of use (e.g. non payment of rent or anti- social behaviour)