Homelessness

If you are homeless or think you will become homeless contact us by:

emailing housing@basingstoke.gov.uk
phoning 01256 844844 at any time
visiting the council offices during office hours.

We can help you with a range of options, including:

Advising on resolving disputes with your landlord to stop your eviction.
Help to mediate with family or friends to help keep you in your current home.
Advice on renting privately.
Helping you to apply for housing benefit.
Providing information on low cost home ownership.
Advice on finding a hostel.
Arrange for debt advice, benefit information and support services.
Helping you adapt your current home to make it more suitable to your needs.

Please be aware there is high demand for housing in the borough.

Homelessness assessments

We have a legal responsibility to assist people who are losing their home or have no home at all. Not everyone will qualify for assistance if they are homeless, or at risk of homelessness.

We will need to ask you the following questions to assess your need:

Are you eligible for help?

If you have arrived in the UK from abroad you may not be eligible for assistance if you are subject to immigration control under the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 and affiliated legislation. We will need to see proof that you are allowed to live in this country.

There are also rules that cover people who do not normally live or work in the UK, including British passport holders. If you are unsure of your position, you should get advice, we can signpost you to the correct organisations.

Are you homeless, or at risk of homelessness, within the next 28 days?

The law says that you are homeless if:

You do not have any property that you have a legal right to live in anywhere in the world.
You do have a home, but you cannot get into it.
You do have a home, but are at risk of violence from someone else who lives there.
You do have a home, but by living in that home you are not able to live with someone who normally lives with you or would reasonably be expected to live with you.
You do have a home, but it is so unreasonable for you to continue living there that you have no real option but to leave.
You home is a caravan, mobile home or boat, and there is nowhere to put it and live in it.

Regardless of why you are homeless or about to become homeless, it is important to let us know quickly. There may be something that we can do to prevent you from losing your home. Even if it is too late to prevent you from losing your home, we may be able to help you move so that you do not have to face the distress of being homeless.

Are you in priority need?

In order to decide if you are in priority need, we need to know if you are vulnerable. This means that you, or someone in your household, would suffer more harm if you became homeless than someone who is not in priority need. We know homelessness is a difficult and traumatic time, but this is a strict test in law.

You are in priority need if:

You have dependent children living with you or who might reasonably be expected to live with you.
You are pregnant, a pregnant woman lives with you, or a pregnant woman would normally be expected to live with you.
You are homeless as a result of an emergency such as fire, flood or other disaster.
You are 16 to 17 years old and you are not already being supported by Children’s Services.

You might be in priority need if:

You are over 21 years old and vulnerable because you were looked after, fostered or accommodated by Children’s Services.
Are vulnerable as a result of having either been a member of the armed forces or having previously been in prison.
You are vulnerable as a result of actual or threatened violence.

Even if you are not in priority need, we will still offer you help and advice to resolve your homelessness.

If you are in priority need you will be entitled to accommodation if you become homeless. If you have become homeless intentionally this accommodation will only be provided for you for such period as we feel gives you a reasonable opportunity to secure accommodation yourself. If you are not seen as intentionally homeless accommodation will be provided for you until a formal offer of suitable settled accommodation, almost certainly in the private sector, is accepted or refused.

Are you intentionally homeless (homeless as a result of your own actions)?

If we are satisfied that you are homeless and have reached a decision on your priority need status, we must consider if you are intentionally homeless. This means whether you have been responsible for the loss of your accommodation. You should take responsibility for your own accommodation and not behave in a way that might lead to its loss, such as:

not paying your rent
neglecting your affairs so that your accommodation is lost
voluntarily selling your property
giving it up or losing it as a result of neighbour nuisance

We will investigate to see if you are responsible or whether you acted in good faith.

If you are intentionally homeless, we will ensure that accommodation is available for you. This will be for a period as we consider will give you a reasonable opportunity of securing accommodation. If you are not seen as intentionally homeless temporary accommodation will be provided for you until a formal offer of suitable settled accommodation, almost certainly in the private sector, is accepted or refused.

Do I have a local connection to the borough?

Various factors may give you a local connection to our borough. If you live or work in the borough, previously lived in the area or have immediate adult relatives here, you may have a local connection to the borough. We will investigate any claim you may have and will advise you if such a connection is established. If you do have a local connection we will process your application. If you do not have a local connection to the borough, we may refer you to another council where you do have a connection. If we do this, we will ask that council to help you directly with housing. We will not ask you to move to an area where you have experienced or are likely to experience violence or the threat of violence

What happens after the assessment?

If you have nowhere to stay and we believe that you are in priority need, we will provide you with temporary accommodation. This accommodation may not be ideal for you and your family, and may be out of the borough. However we will only expect you to stay here for a short period of time whilst we make a decision about your homeless application. We will do everything we can to check all the details of your situation and to give you a decision as quickly as possible.

If you have nowhere to stay but we do not think that you are in priority need, we will give you advice on how to find other housing.

What assistance can be provided?

Once we have confirmed that you meet the five points in your assessment, we have a legal duty is to make sure that accommodation is available for you and your household.

We may not be able to re-house you where you want to live, but we will make the effort to secure accommodation within the borough. If no suitable accommodation is available, we may have to look in other areas. If you refuse a suitable offer of accommodation, we do not have to make you another offer of accommodation.

If we have to provide you with bed and breakfast accommodation, you will be charged for this,but you may be able to meet some of this cost through housing benefit.

If you do not meet the criteria, we will still offer you help and advice with your housing situation. This includes advice on finding your own accommodation.

To find out more contact the Homelessness team, Civic Offices, London Road, Basingstoke on 01256 845250 or via housing@basingstoke.gov.uk

Are you aware of anyone sleeping outside within the borough?

StreetLink is a website that enables the public to alert us about people sleeping rough in this borough. This service offers you a means to act when you see someone sleeping rough and is the first step someone can take to ensure rough sleepers are connected to the local services and support available to them. You can report someone sleeping rough here so that we and other agencies can provide them with assistance.

Rough Sleeper Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP)

Rough sleepers in Basingstoke and Deane can access emergency accommodation and support during periods of exceptionally cold weather through SWEP. Presently SWEP in Basingstoke and Deane is activated by a weather forecast predicting three consecutive nights, or more, of a temperature of zero degrees Celsius (0^oC) or lower or other significant adverse weather conditions.

When SWEP has been activated or deactivated, relevant partner agencies will be notified.

Once you are aware that SWEP has been activated, if you are sleeping rough or an individual approaches you stating that they are rough sleeping, please contact Julian House at basingstoke-outreach@julianhouse.org.uk or 01256 322791 or contact our Housing Team on 01256 844844. Please do not contact May Place House.

Emergency bed spaces may be available at Mary Rose Court.

When SWEP is activated Local Connection and No Recourse to Public Funds criteria, which are usually applied within the borough, are relaxed. However, where appropriate, local services will endeavour to reconnect individuals to their district or country of origin that day, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Help and advice

Below is a list of organisations and services that are available to people who are homeless

Julian House

An outreach service helping to support rough sleepers to move off the streets and into accommodation.

Contact
01256 322791
basingstoke-outreach@julianhouse.org.uk

The Camrose Centre

Provides short-term relief in the form of food, shelter, clothing, washing facilities and guidance.

Open Tuesdays and Thursdays 10am to 2pm

Contact
01256 327858 / 07476 342577
Camrose@BVAction.org.uk

Glebe Hall, Church House, Basingstoke, RG21 7QW

Night Light Winter Shelter

Open December to February

Direct access night shelter for homeless people aged 18 and over. Provides accommodation, food and specialist support.

Contact
lorrainelws@gmail.com

Sovereign Housing Association

Short-term temporary accommodation provided on two sites. One six bed house and 29 self-contained units. Nominations by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Contact
08009 884858
claudette.chiroodza@sovereign.org.uk

Joshua Tree, Oakley Lodge

Mary Rose Court

Mary Rose Court provides accommodation for single homeless people with support needs, including ex-offenders and people with mental health problems.

Contact
01256 472233

www.homegroup.org.uk

Mary Rose Court, Attwood Close, Basingstoke, RG21 8ZY

YMCA Hostel

The YMCA provides accommodation for young, single people aged 18 to 30 who are in housing need and have no or very low support needs.

Contact
01256 479696
www.ymca-fg.org

Eastrop Way, Basingstoke, RG21 4QD

First Point Floating Support

First Point is a homeless prevention service providing housing-related floating support and a drop-in service.

Contact
01256 423805
www.theyoutrust.org.uk/service/advice-services

The Orchard, White Hart Lane, Basingstoke, RG21 4AF

Housing services

Housing registers, housing advice, homelessness and social inclusion.

Contact
01256 844844 phone and offices open Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm and Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm

housing@basingstoke.gov.uk

www.basingstoke.gov.uk

Housing Team, Civic Offices, London Road, Basingstoke, RG21 4AH

Citizens Advice Bureau

Citizens Advice Bureau operates nationally and provides advice on a wide range of topics, including housing.

http://www.basingstokeandtadleycab.org.uk/

03444 111306

The National Domestic Violence Helpline

If someone is fleeing domestic violence please contact: 0808 2000 247

Refugee action

Refugee Action can provide advice to migrants and asylum seekers: 0808 800 0007

Shelter

Shelter is a charity that works to alleviate the distress caused by homelessness and bad housing. They do this by giving advice, information and advocacy to people in housing need, and by campaigning for lasting political change to end the housing crisis for good.

http://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice