Getting a house because of homelessness
Duties to homeless people
If you are homeless, the Council has a legal requirement to assess your circumstances.
They may also be required to offer you temporary accommodation while they are assessing your case.
Some temporary accommodation is specifically for young people.
Offers to homeless people
A Local Authority also has a duty to provide settled accommodation for people who are found to be homeless (properties provided by themselves, a Housing Association or a private landlord).
In general, offers/lets to homeless people should mirror those of offers/lets to other types of applicants.
The placement of homeless people in hard to let housing is considered to be poor practice.
Local authorities and housing associations have similar types of housing stock on offer. They may work together to rehouse homeless people (through ‘nominations’ or ‘section 5 referrals’).
Social landlords should consider the particular personal circumstances and wishes of their applicants when offering them a house. This practice includes young people who are homeless.
