Know your rights

1. If you contact the Council Housing Department, they must assess your need for housing and they must give you a decision in writing.

2. It's not just rough sleepers who are homeless. If you are at risk of homelessness within the next 28 days, the Council must still assess your needs, and give you somewhere to stay if you can’t stay where you are.

3. If you are homeless and are 16 or 17 years old, you have ‘priority need’ for housing in law. So does someone who left care after their 16th birthday, if they are still under 21.

4. If you are over 21 now and you were in care, you won’t get help unless the Council agrees you are ‘vulnerable’. Contact the Council anyway. If the Council refuses to help, get advice.

5. If you were in care and are still under 18, then Social Services may have to house you instead.

6. Most young homeless people need more than just a roof over their head. You can ask for other help from Social Services if you are under 18 and homeless, or are under 21 if you were in care before. If you contact the Council Housing Department for help, they may want to refer you to Social Services for further help. But they cannot refuse to provide temporary housing in an emergency just because you’re being sent somewhere else.

7. If you don’t think you need any more help than just finding somewhere to live, the Council should listen to your wishes, but they may disagree with you.

8. If the Council Housing Department refuses to help, you can appeal against the decision. If you’re not happy about the way you are treated, you can also complain. Get advice. Act quickly. You usually only have 21 days to take action if the Council rejects you.

9. If Social Services refuse to help, get advice. You can complain, and you may be able to get help from a solicitor to get Social Services to assess your needs.

February 2010