Homelessness Prevention and Advice

Ask to see a Housing Options and Homelessness Officer who will give you advice that might prevent you from becoming homeless or on what to do if you are already homeless. 

Appointments to see an adviser can be booked in advance by phoning 01225 396296.  In an emergency people can be interviewed immediately.  We also offer appointments at Council Connect at The Hollies in Midsomer Norton on Tuesday mornings 9.30 til 12.30.

Opening times:

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 8.30am  - 5.00pm

Wednesday 9.30am - 5.00pm

Friday 8.30am - 4.30pm

If you need help outside of office hours, please contact the emergency duty team on 01454 615165.

Email:             housing@bathnes.gov.uk

Drop in:         Lewis House, Manvers Street, Bath

                       Council Connect, The Hollies, Midsomer Norton.

It will help us to give you the right advice if you can bring with you any relevant documents for example a tenancy agreement, notice to quit, legal papers which help to explain your housing problem.

How the Council can help

• We can help you access welfare rights and money advice;
• We will mediate with your landlord on your behalf in order to prevent or delay homelessness;
• If your home is being repossessed by a mortgage company, we can refer you to a specialist money advice team and negotiate on your behalf with the company or the courts;
• If you are unable to return to your accommodation on the night, we will help you find alternative emergency accommodation, such as a refuge, nightshelter or friends or family;
• We will assess our housing duty to you.

Assessment of housing duty

We must be sure of all the facts before we can decide what other help we must give you.  We will ask you to complete and sign a form and provide evidence of relevant facts:

• You must be eligible for assistance – we will ask for proof of identity for example full birth certificates or passports for all the people in your household and evidence of child benefit for any children in your care;
• Details of where you have lived for at least the last five years and the reasons why you have had to leave accommodation;
• Information that might give you a priority need for housing, for example being vulnerable because of your age, special circumstances, children or some other reason;
• If you are eligible for assistance, have nowhere to live and we think you have a priority need for housing we will offer you temporary accommodation while we make a decision and to give you time to find somewhere else to live.   

Decision on housing duty

Once we have all the information we need we will write to you, usually within 33 days from when you applied for help, with our decision. 

Providing you are eligible for assistance we will give you advice and information to help you find your own accommodation.

The council must make sure that you have accommodation if you are

• Eligible for assistance
• Homeless or threatened with homelessness within 28 days
• In priority need
• Not intentionally homeless

If you don’t have a local connection with this area we will ask another local authority to provide accommodation for you.

Reviews

You have a right to request a review of a decision within 21 days of being told any of the following apply:

• you are not eligible for assistance;
• you are not homeless;
• you do not have a priority need;
• you have made yourself intentionally homeless;
• you do not have a local connection with Bath and North East Somerset and are referred to another local authority;
• you have been asked to accept an unsuitable place to live and the homelessness duty towards you has come to an end.

Your request can be made by contacting the Homelessness Review and Policy Officer who must reach a decision on your request for review within 56 days of the date of your request.  You will be asked to provide reasons why you think the decision is wrong, if you fail to submit any further information, the decision will be reviewed on the basis of all available, relevant information.

If you think our reviewed decision is legally wrong, you can appeal to the County Court within 21 days of being notified. If the court agrees with you, it has the power to change our decision.

Safeguarding your belongings

If you are homeless or going to be homeless try to store your furniture and belongings with  friends and relatives, ask them to help look after your pets as they are not usually allowed in temporary accommodation.  If this is not possible you will have to pay for storage or kennels, the Housing Options and Homelessness Team can help you make arrangements. 

This information can be made available in a range of languages, large print, Braille, on tape, electronic and accessible formats.  Contact the Information Officer on 01225 477983, Minicom 01225 477043 or email information_officer@bathnes.gov.uk