Help if you're homeless now

Register as homeless

Our priority is to help you avoid becoming homeless. The sooner you contact us the more likely we will be able to help you and prevent you becoming homeless.

To contact us:

• Register as homeless online using our housing system, Housing Jigsaw.
• If you are registering as homeless for the first time, you will need to create a new account. You'll receive an email from Housing Jigsaw asking you to verify your email address.
• Once you have created your account, you can complete the form. 

Once you have submitted the form, an officer will contact you within ten working days. If you need to make a homeless application, we will provide you with an appointment.

Please do not complete more than one referral form as this will cause delays in the processing of your request. The name and date of birth you provide will be validated against your identification documents. Please note that submitting false information is an offence.

Register as homeless

Making a homeless application

If you need to make a homeless application, we will provide you with an appointment. At your appointment, an assessment officer will interview you to check what support you are entitled to. The assessment officer will also decide whether the council has a duty to provide you with temporary accommodation. The council does not have a duty to house everyone, but if the council is satisfied that you are homeless and eligible for support, we will have a duty to help you to find a place to live.

Documents to bring with you

You will need to bring documentation to support your case with you.

This will include:

• Proof of identity for example your passport or birth certificate
• Proof of income for example payslips or benefit award letters
• Proof of homelessness for example a notice from your landlord

Please see our privacy notice to find out how we look after your documents.

What happens next 

If the assessment officer is satisfied that you are eligible and homeless, they will make an appointment for you for a second interview with a housing expert who will be your personal advisor. They will ask you questions about you, your family, your address history, your housing and support needs, and the circumstances that led to you becoming homeless.

We ask these questions to assess how best to help you and agree a plan with you, outlining the steps you and your housing advisor need to take in order help you find a place to live. You will receive a copy of your Personal Housing Plan and your housing advisor will support you to find a place to live.

Temporary accommodation

We can only offer temporary accommodation while a homeless application is being investigated in certain cases. We may do this only if we believe that you have no accommodation available to you and also if you meet one of the priority need categories defined by law.

Temporary accommodation is not free and you will need to pay for this. You will also need to cover utility and council tax bills. Temporary accommodation is furnished however you will need to provide your own bedding and kitchen utensils.

Please be prepared to wait as the search for temporary accommodation can take several hours. You will have to sign an agreement to move in to the accommodation, but we will make sure you understand it before you sign.

Once you've signed this agreement you will need to collect the keys yourself as they are not located at our offices. We will also provide you with the name and contact details for your temporary accommodation officer.