Explanation of how housing law differentiates between different categories of people in housing need, and the duties Councils have regarding

1. Jackie Lees
Shelter London Advice Services
Housing Options

2. Housing Options
 Family and friends
 Private renting
 Owner occupation
 Shared ownership
 Social housing
 Hostels
 Refuges
 Sheltered housing

3. Safety net accommodation
 Temporary accommodation for the
homeless – homeless application
 Residential care through social services –
community care assessment

4. Homeless acceptances England

5. Five tests of homelessness

6. HOMELESSNESS – legal definition
A person is homeless if there is nowhere in the world
that :
they have a legal right to occupy
and
is available for their whole household
and
is reasonable for them to continue to occupy
A person is threatened with homelessness if they are
likely to become homeless within 28 days
6

7. QUIZ: Who is automatically in priority need?
Can you identify the correct five cards?

8. Automatic priority need

9. Homelessness and allocations

10. QUIZ: Localism – which is true?
1. Councils will no longer use temporary
accommodation because they will only use
the private rented sector to house
homeless people
2. Councils will have to house someone again
if they become homeless after two years of
accepting PRS housing
3. The priority need categories are changing

11. PRS
Post
local
ism

12. Access to ‘permanent’ social housing

13. Demand for social housing

14. Who gets social housing?
 You need to look at the local authority
allocations policy – and remember, they are
all different!
 Apply to join the housing register – bid or
wait for offer

15. QUIZ: What difference does localism make?
1. No difference at all
2. Local authorities can choose who to allow
onto the housing register
3. Local authorities will have greater powers
to suspend people on the housing register

16. LB Who is this for? Examples
Barnet
Band 1 People who need a home urgently Life threatening medical
condition and cannot remain in
own home
Band 2 People who need a home and do A working family with low paid
something for the community jobs, with young children, who
are about to become homeless
Band 3 People who need a home but no A non working family with
community contribution award three children in a one bed flat
Band 4 People who need housing but have People who have rent arrears
lower priority and people with no priority
need as homeless

17. And what will you get?
 Lifetime or fixed term
tenancy
 Social or affordable rent

19. Shelter London Advice
Services
Provide free, confidential
and independent housing
advice
To anyone who is
homeless or experiencing
housing problems within
the London area

20. We can advise on:
Tenancy problems
Disrepair
Illegal eviction
Neighbour nuisance
Housing benefit

21. Homelessness and
unsuitable housing
Mortgage problems
Possession action
Domestic violence
Housing register

23. Surgeries for face to face advice

24. Any questions?