Homelessness Advice

Are you, or is someone you know about to become homeless?

Don't wait until it happens - Contact us now.

Call Daventry Housing Advice 01327 302218 

We will assist you by looking at prevention measures, advising you of your rights and discussing your housing options. We can also help you to complete application forms.  

Homeless Directory

Daventry District Council and South Northamptonshire Council have worked together to compile this comprehensive Homelessness Service Directory. It contains the contact details for all the relevant agencies that can offer advice and assistance to people who are or maybe homeless.

Homelessness Criteria

The council has to look into your circumstances to decide whether you are in priority need for emergency accommodation. If you think you are in priority need but the council says you're not, you may be able to get the decision changed. The council may still offer accommodation if you are not in priority need, but it doesn't have to.

When is someone in priority need?

There are six categories of people who are in priority need:

• pregnant women and people who live with them
• people who are responsible for dependent children
• people who are homeless as a result of fire, flood or other disaster
• 16 and 17 year olds
• people aged 18 to 21 who have been in care
• other people who are particularly vulnerable (due to mental illness, or having recently left prison or the armed forces, people fleeing violence)

You will be in priority need if one of the people included in your application falls into one of these categories unless that person is not eligible for assistance, (for example; because s/he is from abroad or has been living overseas). Each of the categories are explained in more detail below.

Pregnant women

The council should consider any pregnant woman to be in priority need. You will probably have to provide proof of the pregnancy from a doctor or other medical expert.

People with dependent children

The council should consider you to be in priority need if you are responsible for dependent children who normally live with you (or would do if you had accommodation where you could all live together) and who are:

• under 16, or
• under 19 and in full time education

If the children are only living with you for part of the time (for example every other week) it can be complicated. You should tell the council the normal arrangements for care of the children.

People made homeless by an emergency

The council has to accept that you are in priority need if you had to leave your home because of any disaster or emergency such as fire or flood.

People aged 16 or 17

The council should automatically consider you to be in priority need if you are 16 or 17 years old. The housing department may contact social services if it believes that you are entitled to help from social services as well, but it still has a legal responsibility to help you. If the housing department and social services can't agree who is responsible for helping you, get advice immediately.

Young people who have been in care

If you are under 18 and have been in care, social services usually have to provide accommodation and financial support until you are 18.

If you are between the ages of 18 and 21 and have been in care in the past, the council should accept that you are in priority need. If you are still in full time education, it can provide support (such as accommodation during holidays) until your 24th birthday.

Other vulnerable people

In deciding whether you are vulnerable, the council should look at your situation as a whole, and consider whether your personal circumstances make it more difficult for you to find and keep accommodation. For example, it may decide that you are vulnerable because:

• you are an older person
• you have a physical or mental illness or disability
• you had to leave your home because of violence or harassment
• you have been in care, the armed forces or prison in the past
• you are under 25 and are vulnerable because you don't have support from family or friends, have slept on the streets in the past or have problems with drugs or alcohol

The council won't automatically consider you to be vulnerable if you fit one of these categories. For example, the council may decide that you are not vulnerable if you have an illness but it can be controlled by medication, or if you are over 60 but are in good health. However, you may be vulnerable for other reasons. Make sure you tell the council about any personal circumstances that make it difficult for you to deal with your housing situation.

Entitled to Accommodation

Some people who become homeless are entitled to accommodation from the local council. You are entitled to emergency accommodation, if the council believe you fit certain legal criteria. To meet these you must be:

• eligible for assistance (not an asylum seeker, have not lived abroad in recent past)
• homeless
• in priority need

What if the council says I'm not in priority need?

If the council decides that you are not in priority need it has to inform you in writing. The letter must explain the reasons why the council has come to that decision. It must also inform you that if you want the council to review its decision, you have to ask it to do so within 21 days. If the reasons the council gives are wrong or unclear, get advice immediately. It is possible that the council hasn't looked into your situation properly.

Can the council still house me?

Councils don't have a legal responsibility to provide accommodation for people who are not in priority need. The council only has a legal responsibility to give you advice and assistance about finding somewhere else to live.

However, in some parts of the country, there is a lot of available housing and councils may offer to house you even though you are not in priority need. They can only do this if:

• you are actually homeless, and
• you are eligible for assistance, and
• you did not make yourself homeless intentionally

In areas like Daventry, where there is a lot of demand for housing and a shortage of properties, you are unlikely to be offered any accommodation at all. If you are already in emergency accommodation provided by the council, you can be asked to leave.

Can I get the council to change its decision?

If you think the council's decision is wrong, get advice quickly. If you want the council to review its decision, you have to request a review within 21 days of receiving the decision letter. An advisor from Daventry Housing Advice (01327 302218), may be able to help you:

• look into the reasons for the decision and help you work out whether you have a good chance of getting the council to change its decision
• help you put together the information you will need to provide for the review
• convince the council to provide accommodation until the review is completed
• help you to appeal further if the council still refuses to help you
• help you find somewhere to live if you can't prove that you are in priority need

Contact Details