Introduction
If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness, this leaflet will give you some basic information and advice. This information is only intended to be a guide, if you have any questions please contact the Homelessness Team at St Edmundsbury Borough Council on 01284 757605.
Who is eligible to apply for assistance?
- Any person aged 16 years and above.
- Applicants who are classed as having priority need, with a local connection to St Edmundsbury.
Local connection
- You are considered to have a local connection if you have lived in St Edmundsbury area for at least six months in the last year, or for three out of the last five years.
- If you have permanent employment in the area.
- If you have close relatives (i.e. parents, brother or sister) living in the area and have done so for at least five years.
Legal definition of Homelessness and Priority Need groups
Homelessness is defined as a situation where an individual or family are without a home, or threatened with losing their home.
Under the Housing Act 1996 and the Homelessness Act 2002 the following groups can be considered to be in priority need:
- Young people aged 16 or 17, not under the care of Social Services and without permanent accommodation.
- Care leavers under the age of 21.
- Those who are pregnant or responsible for dependent children under the age of 16, or under 19 if in full time education.
- Those who are vulnerable due to age, ill health, mental illness, disabilities or any other special reason.
- Those who are forced to leave to escape violence or threats of violence. In this instance, it is not always necessary to have a local connection, but it will be necessary to have a referral from another Council.
- You may also be considered vulnerable if you have spent time in institutional care or custody, for instance prison.
- People leaving the armed forces.
- Those who have lost their home as result of a fire, flood or other natural disaster.
All homelessness applications will be assessed in terms of intentionality. This means that the council will endeavour to establish the cause of your homelessness.
Intentionally homeless
If your homeless situation is caused through your deliberate actions, for instance, non payment of rent or anti social behaviour, you may be regarded as ‘intentionally’ homeless. The council does not always have a duty to re-house those found to be intentionally homeless.
Unintentionally homeless
If your homeless situation is caused through no fault of your own, you may be regarded as ‘unintentionally’ homeless.
Applying to the council as homeless
If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness, and fit the eligible criteria, you will need to make a homeless application.
Where to apply
Contact the council’s Homelessness Team on 01284 757605 and you will be given an appointment with a Homelessness Officer. Appointments are held at the council offices in Bury St Edmunds (Western Way) and Haverhill.
When to apply
Homeless applications will be accepted from people who are actually homeless, or who are threatened with homelessness within 28 days.
You can be considered as ‘threatened’ with homelessness if:
Information required for an application
It will be necessary to check the details of your application and your personal circumstances. You may need to provide the following information:
- identification such as birth certificate(s) or passport(s) for everyone in your household;
- proof of income (for example a benefit book or wage slips);
- child benefit book; or
- Notice to quit.
The council may also contact people and organisations that know about your housing situation, for instance, previous landlords, mortgage lenders, agencies who may have provided support and the police in cases of violence or threats.
Emergency housing during the investigation period
If you fit any of the eligibility categories and are in immediate need of housing, the council may provide you with emergency accommodation. It is likely that this interim accommodation will be in a bed and breakfast guest house, since the council has limited access to temporary accommodation. The council will make every effort to place you and any family locally, but this is not always possible and is dependant upon availability of accommodation.
The council’s decision
The council aims to make a decision regarding your application within 33 working days.
After making enquiries, the council will inform you in writing of the decision on your application. The decision letter will detail the outcome of your application and the reasons for the decision. The decision letter will also inform you of the right to request a review. Review requests must be received in writing within 21 days of the date of the decision letter.
Accommodation from the council
The council transferred its housing stock in June 2002 to The Havebury Housing Partnership. The council’s homelessness team work closely with Havebury Housing Partnership and other registered social landlords or housing associations to secure housing for those found to be eligible for assistance and in priority need. Offers of accommodation will reflect our assessment of your individual needs. If you decide to refuse an offer of suitable accommodation, the council are permitted to discharge their duty to provide accommodation.
