Homeless or at risk of becoming homeless

You may find yourself homeless or at risk of becoming homeless for many reasons - whatever your situation the most important thing is to get advice as soon as possible, before the situation goes too far.

We can provide you with Housing Advice  and things that can be done to prevent you losing your home or assist you in finding alternative accommodation.  You may be able to move in a planned way without actually becoming homeless.

We are required to offer advice and assistance to you if you are homeless or at risk of homelessness.  However, we do not have a duty to provide accommodation to everyone who is homeless. This will depend on your circumstances.

If you are worried about becoming homeless, please contact our housing advice team to discuss your situation:

• New Enquiries for Homelessness
   
• Following up enquiries - please email homeless.enquiries@highpeak.gov.uk to get in touch.

If you are homeless due to an emergency situation outside of office hours or at the weekend, please telephone call 01629 532600.

The legislation around homelessness has changed with the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. This places more emphasis on the assistance each council in England can offer customers who may experience homelessness.

We will need to decide if you are;

• eligible to apply for assistance, and
• actually homeless, or threatened with homelessness  within 56 days

If this is the case, then we will work with you to;

• assess your homelessness circumstances, housing and support needs
• develop a personal housing plan, which clearly sets out the actions that you and the council should take, in order to keep or find other accommodation
• prevent you from becoming homeless
• relieve a homeless situation, if you actually become homeless and have a local connection to High Peak

At the end of the relief stage, if homelessness has not been resolved, we will need to decide if you are;

• in 'priority need'
• homeless or threatened with homelessness intentionally
• have a local connection to High Peak

We will continue to provide temporary accommodation where applicable. For instance in severe weather conditions or while we are making further inquiries into your homelessness application and have reason to believe that you may be eligible, homeless and in priority need.

Please Note: Everyone will be given help and advice even if we don't have to re-house them.

Rough Sleeping

If you see a rough sleeper or are rough sleeping, please report details to Street Link or  contact the housing advice service.

Particular homelessness situations

• Advice about eviction and the ending of a private sector tenancy 
• Domestic abuse
• Homeless when released from prison
• Help for care leavers
• Homeless ex-armed forces
• Suffering mental illness or impairment and threatened with homelessness
• Homeless after leaving hospital

Duty to Refer

From 1^st October 2018 specified public bodies are required to notify a housing authority of service users they consider may be homeless or threatened with homelessness within 56 days (i.e. it is likely they will become homeless within 56 days).