The council has a legal duty under the Homeless Reduction Act 2017 to help you if you at risk of homelessness within the next 56 days or have nowhere to live now. The type and amount of help that we can provide depends upon your circumstances but we will provide you with advice and assistance wherever possible.
Our first duty is to prevent you from becoming homeless but if this is not possible we have a duty to help you to find alternative accommodation. These duties are called the 'prevention duty' (section 195 of the Homeless Reduction Act 2017) and the 'relief duty' (section 189B of the Homeless Reduction Act 2017).
If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness within the next 56 days you should visit one of our Customer Service Centres and ask them to complete a homelessness form for you, or you can telephone (01482) 393939 and they will complete one for you over the phone.
Our homelessness officers can provide more specialist advice to owner-occupiers who are struggling to pay their mortgages or to private tenants who are at risk of losing their tenancies.
Email: housing.services@eastriding.gov.uk
Tel: (01482) 393939
Preventing homelessness
We will carry out an assessment of your housing situation, and agree on a personal housing plan with you to prevent your homelessness. The prevention duty lasts for 56 days and can end if:
- we help you keep your home
- we help you find alternative accommodation
- you refuse an offer of accommodation
- you do not carry out the requirements of your personal housing plan
- you cease to be eligible or withdraw your application
- you lose contact with us.
Relieving homelessness
We will carry out an assessment of your housing situation, and agree on a personal housing plan with you to relieve your homelessness. The relief duty lasts for 56 days and can end if:
- we help you find alternative accommodation
- you refuse an offer of accommodation
- you do not carry out the requirements of your personal housing plan
- you cease to be eligible or withdraw your application
- you lose contact with us.
Homelessness Full Duty
If we cannot help you keep your home or find alternative accommodation then you will be assessed under the Housing Act 1996, when the 56 day relief duty has ended. We will only have a duty to rehouse you if:
- you are eligible for assistance (in accordance with section 185 of the Housing Act 1996) and
- you are homeless (in accordance with section 175 of the Housing Act 1996) and
- you are not homeless intentionally (i.e. you have not deliberately done or failed to do something that led to you lose your home - in accordance with section 191 of the Housing Act 1996) and
- you are in priority need e.g. a family with children, a care leaver or someone who is vulnerable due to old age (in accordance with section 189 of the Housing Act 1996) and
- you have a local connection to the East Riding (in accordance with section 193 of the Housing Act 1996).
If you need to leave your home immediately as a result of domestic violence or anti-social behaviour, then during normal office hours go to your nearest customer service centre or contact your area housing office.
Tel: (01482) 393939
Tel: (01377) 241273 out of normal office hours.
If your life is at risk you should ring the police.
If we have reason to believe that you are homeless and in priority need, and you do not have anywhere to stay, then we may provide you with temporary accommodation – this may be while we continue to help you find alternative accommodation, until a decision can be made on your application or until permanent accommodation can be secured.
If you do not fulfil each of the basic criteria (i.e. you are not homeless, not eligible for assistance or in priority need, or you are intentionally homeless) then our duty will be limited to the provision of advice and assistance. We may provide temporary accommodation for a limited time while you secure your own accommodation.
If you are facing homelessness for financial reasons our Money Advice Team offer a service for our customers who are struggling with rent and/or council tax payments or repaying overpaid housing benefit. They can negotiate repayment rates and offer debt and budgeting advice, as well as carrying out benefit checks.