Skip to main content
 

Housing and homelessness advice

Housing options

How housing options can help

If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness it is important that you seek advice as soon as possible. Housing options can help you take steps to resolve your homelessness.

Housing options has a range of services available to try and prevent you from being made homeless or find somewhere to live if you have nowhere to stay.

If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness, housing options may have duties to help you under the Housing Act 1996 (as amended).Help available includes:
  • Negotiation with your landlord if your tenancy is breaking down
  • Help to find accommodation if you need to leave where you are living or if you have nowhere to stay
  • Tenancy support to help you maintain or settle into your accommodation
  • Family mediation if your parents or family members are asking you to leave

What to do if you are homeless

If you have nowhere to stay today, then you can attend our offices at Chapel Street Monday to Friday 1.00pm to 4.30pm.
You can also telephone us on 01253 477760.

Even if we are not able to offer you emergency accommodation we will still try and help you resolve your homelessness in the long-term.

For homelessness emergencies outside these times, please telephone 01253 477600.

What to do if you are threatened with homelessness

If you are threatened with homelessness within 56 days (e.g. your landlord has served you with an eviction notice, you cannot afford your rent or mortgage, etc).

Housing options will help you take steps to prevent you from becoming homelessness.

We will always try and find a way of helping you stay in your current accommodation. If we cannot, we will try to help you find suitable alternative accommodation.

Please make sure that you have to hand your eviction notice and details of your income and expenditure for when we see you.

What to do if you are struggling in your current accommodation

Housing Options can provide advice on a range of issues such as:

Disrepair

If you are experiencing issues with disrepair speak to your landlord first, and if your landlord is not helping to address it, please contact housing enforcement team

Antisocial behaviour

If you are experiencing issues with antisocial behaviour, you can make a complaint by reporting it online or by telephoning Customer First on 01253 477477.Telephone lines are open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm.

Contacting housing options

Telephone housing options on 01253 477760.
We are sorry that our telephone lines can be very busy and it can be difficult to get through.

Telephone opening times

Our telephone operating hours are:

  • 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
  • 1.00pm to 5.00pm Wednesday
  • 9.00am to 4.30pm Friday

Office opening hours

If you need to speak with someone urgently and are unable to get through on our telephone lines, you can attend our offices on Chapel Street Monday to Friday 1.00pm to 4.30pm.

Please be aware that if you call into the office you may have to wait to see someone.