Worried about becoming homeless
If you are worried about becoming homeless, we can help.
We manage Derby’s response to homelessness on behalf of Derby City Council.
Our aim is to prevent you from ever becoming homeless. If you are at risk of becoming homeless, we will work with you to either help you stay where you are or help you find a new home. We will discuss your situation and needs with you. If you do not have a local connection to Derby we may refer you to the local authority where you do have a connection.
You can be homeless even if you have somewhere to live. More information on homelessness can be found on Shelter’s website.
High demand for social housing
There's incredibly high demand for housing in Derby and there are not enough properties for everyone on the housing register. There are always more people wanting to be housed than homes will ever be available. Most people will never receive an offer of social housing. Finding a tenancy with a private landlord is a much more likely solution.
We may provide temporary accommodation in some circumstances.
When you contact us, we will assess your situation under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2018 and arrange an appointment with a homeless advisor.
To help with this assessment you will need to provide details of your circumstances. This includes proof of:
- identity, such as your passport or ID card
- eviction notice and tenancy agreement - if you’ve been asked to leave by your landlord
- income, such as bank statements, wage slips, or proof of all benefits
- immigration status, such as a passport or other document that shows you have the right to live in the UK.
- children, such as your child benefit or tax credit letter and birth certificates
- pregnancy, such as a letter from your doctor or midwife, or your MATB1 form
- medical conditions, such as a letter from your doctor or hospital or copies of your prescriptions
Your personalised housing plan
If we determine you are at risk of homelessness, we will work with you to agree a personalised housing plan.
It’s important for you to be open and honest at your assessment so your advisor can give you the correct advice and support.
Your personalised housing plan will include actions that you and your advisor agree to take to prevent you from becoming homeless or help you find new accommodation if you’re already homeless.
These can include:
- discussing your rights as a tenant
- contacting your landlord to try to resolve any issues
- completing income and expenditure forms, to show us how much money you spend or have coming in
- referring you to other organisations for advice and support
- contacting family or friends to ask them to let you stay temporarily
- help you make a claim for Universal Credit or discretionary housing payments
- help you find private rented accommodation
more information on personal housing plans is available on Shelter’s website.
Your landlord must follow certain rules if they want you to leave their property.
Your rights as a tenant will vary depending on the type of tenancy you have. Check which type of tenancy you have.
If you have been asked to leave
Your landlord must follow the correct legal process to evict you from their property.
If you have been asked to leave your property, you should contact us before you leave.
Landlord harassment or illegal eviction
It is illegal for your landlord or anyone acting on their behalf to harass you.
If you’re being harassed by your landlord or think that you’re being evicted illegally, you should contact us.
If your landlord is trying to forcibly remove you without a warrant or threatening you with violence, you should call the police immediately.
More information about your rights as a private tenant is available on Shelter’s website.
If you are falling behind with mortgage payments it is important that you talk with your lender as soon as possible. Don't wait until your mortgage arrears become unmanageable. Your lender is more likely to consider other options if you negotiate at an early stage.
Your lender may:
- lengthen the term of your loan
- change to an interest only mortgage
- accept reduced or no payment for a short period of time
- offer you a better interest rate
- add the debt to the amount you borrowed.
Mortgage problems can often be resolved without going to court. Repossessing your home is always your lender’s last resort and the law says that your lender must treat you fairly.
It is important that you stick to any agreements made with your lender. Mortgages are a 'priority debt' which means that you should pay them before any non-priority debts. Look at your income and expenditure and reduce your spending on non-essential items.
Advice and help
You can check if you are eligible for benefits through Benefits calculators - GOV.UK. You may be eligible to claim Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI). Find out more on GOV.UK.
For budgeting and debt advice, you can speak to the Citizens Advice Bureau, phone: 0300 330 9002 Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm.
More information and advice on Mortgage arrears and repossession is available on Shelter’s Website.
Threatened with court proceedings
If your lender has started court proceedings, we can help.
If you're at risk of becoming homeless because of domestic abuse there is help available.
Call the police on 999 now if:
- your or your children’s safety is threatened
- you are injured or at risk of injury.
If you are in immediate danger then leave now.
You may be entitled to emergency accommodation.
Try to take essentials with you:
- a change of clothes, toiletries and any medication you need to take regularly
- proof of benefits, National Insurance number, birth certificates for you and your family, photo ID
- your passport, bank and credit cards and mobile phone
- immigration documents (if you are not originally from the UK).
Call us as soon as possible.
Alternatively, you can speak with an advisor from Refuge free on 0800 0853481.
Get advice and help if you are thinking through your options
Don't make a decision to give up your home permanently until you have spoken to an advisor and considered all your options. Contact us to get advice and talk through your options confidentially.
We will ask you to provide details of your situation (where possible). You can bring a friend or advisor with you for support to any appointment.
Other organisations
- Refuge - National Domestic Abuse Helpline for women. Free call on 0808 2000247
- Respect- National Domestic Abuse Helpline for men. Free call on 0808 8010327
- Galop - National Domestic Violence Helpline for LGBT+ people. Call on 0800 9995428.
Where you can go
Staying with someone you know
If it is a safe option, you could stay with friends or relatives while you think about what to do next.
Refuges for women
If you're a woman leaving domestic abuse, you may want to approach a women's refuge, where additional support is available. You will be assigned your own support worker, who will assess your current and future needs, including rehousing.
You will be able to bring your children with you to a refuge.
For more information about refuges, contact Refuge - free call on 0808 2000247.
Refuges for men
If you are man who has to leave home because of domestic abuse, contact us.
There is limited specialist housing for men experiencing domestic abuse, however there will still be options and support available to you.
If staying at home and making it safe is an option
We may be able to secure your home through our Sanctuary Scheme and assign you an outreach worker.
The Sanctuary Scheme carries out safety works in your home such as changing locks, fire proof letter boxes and panic rooms. This is a free service that can be accessed through your housing advisor, housing association or the police.
If you are a child or a young person experiencing domestic abuse
If you or someone else in your family is being hurt at home, you may not be sure what you can do about it.
The first thing is to tell someone else about what is happening:
- you can tell a teacher, a neighbour, a friend or a friend's parent.
- you can call Childline on 0800 1111 for free. They won't tell anyone else you are calling unless you are in immediate danger. They can tell you about places where you can get help.
Domestic abuse is not your fault and you won't get into trouble for telling someone about it.
For more information visit our domestic abuse pages
If you're leaving the armed forces, or are a former member, there is homelessness help available.
If you think you will be homeless once you are discharged from the services, contact us.
You will need your letter of discharge or other evidence to confirm the date of your discharge.
Defence Estates have to give you a Notice to Vacate before they can take you to court to obtain a possession order. You can use any Notice to Vacate or possession order obtained against you as evidence in support of your homelessness application.
Re-housing in the area of your base
You must have a local connection to where your base was situated to be accepted as homeless there.
Where to get further help
Day centres - are a useful source of practical support – they provide a warm place to stay during the day and may also be able to offer food, clothing, laundry facilities and showers.
Royal British Legion – might be able to help with a rent deposit Call 0808 8028080.
SSAFA – provide housing advice to ex services and current services personnel. 0800 7314880.
Veterans Gateway - the first point of contact for veterans seeking support. Veterans’ Gateway is made up of a consortium of organisations and Armed Forces charities. Telephone: 0808 802 1212.
Veterans Housing advice (VHA).
STOLL Housing and helping veterans - leading provider of supported housing to vulnerable veterans. Telephone: 020 7385 2110.
Haig Housing Trust - supports housing for the ex-service community. Applications are assessed using a points system which combines Service Points and Need Points. Priority is normally given to those with greatest need.
War Memorial Village Derby - provides homes for local ex-service men and women who have a disability. Applications are managed by Derby Homes, Allenton Housing Office, Bingham Street, Derby DE24 9BS.
Army Family Federation - the independent voice of army families and offers confidential advice. Telephone: 01264 382324.
If you are aged 16 or 17 and worried about becoming homeless, you can contact Children’s Social Care or contact us.
If you are already working with someone in Children’s Services, then you should contact your allocated worker.
If you don’t feel safe at home
Call 999 right away if you are injured or at risk of being injured.
If you need to leave home right now, contact us.
If you are having problems at home
If you do not have to leave home then you should consider your options very carefully before doing so.
Your situation may feel bad if you are having arguments, but if you leave your family home without being prepared, you may find yourself in a worse situation. You may also find it difficult to carry on with your education. Talk to someone like, friends, extended family, or a teacher at your school or college before you make any decisions.
If you have a social worker or support worker, contact them for advice and assistance.
If you do not have a social worker or support worker, contact us. We may be able to provide mediation with your family to talk about the problems, or refer you to other agencies for help.
Other support and advice
Childline: 0800 1111. Free 24 hour support helpline for children and young people
Shelter England: 0808 800 4444. 8am to 8pm weekdays and 9am to 5pm at weekends.
If you are an 18 to 25-year-old care leaver and worried about homelessness, we may be able to help you.
You will be considered a priority under the Homeless Reduction Act if you are under 21 years old and have been looked after, accommodated or fostered by the local authority between the ages of 16 and 18 (except relevant students*).
If you are 21 years old or over, you may have a priority need if you are vulnerable as a result of having been looked after, accommodated or fostered by the local authority at any time.
How we can help
- assess your current housing circumstances and needs
- Speak to other agencies such as Derby City Council’s Leaving Care team, to ensure that you receive all appropriate support
- discuss your housing options, which could be staying with family and friends or placement in supported accommodation
If you are aged between 16-25 years old contact the Leaving Care team. They will also be able to help you.
If you are currently in care, Children’s Social Care are responsible for finding somewhere for you to live and you will need to discuss this with your Leaving Care Worker or allocated Social Worker.
If you are a care leaver aged over 21 and no longer have an allocated Leaving Care worker, you can request further support from the Leaving Care Service up to the age of 25.
*A relevant student is a care leaver who meets the following criteria:
- Is under 25 years old
- Qualifies for social services advice and assistance
- Is enrolled in full-time further or higher education
- Has term-time accommodation that is not available during holidays
If you think you could be homeless when you leave hospital, you must tell the hospital nursing staff as soon as possible. They can ask their hospital discharge team to help you.
They will be able to make a homelessness referral to us under the duty to refer.
We will assess your situation. if you are homeless on discharge from hospital, we may be able to offer you temporary accommodation whist your application is assessed.
If you already have a home but it isn't suitable
If you have a home but it needs to be adapted to carry on living there, the hospital will refer you to The Healthy Housing Hub.
If you have a mental illness or impairment and are at risk of losing your home or are already homeless, we can help.
we will work with you to either help you stay where you are or help you find a new home.
We may decide that vulnerability caused by your mental illness or impairment qualifies you as a priority need. We will collect information from health professionals to help make our decision.
Other help on offer
If you are concerned about your mental health, speak with your GP as they will help you decide what support is needed.
If you are concerned about the mental health of a relative or someone you are caring for, you can support them in getting help from their GP.
Other organisations that can help:
- Derby City Life Links - provides wellness and mental health recovery service to people living in Derby.
- Talking Mental Health Derbyshire - offers a range of therapies for people experiencing common psychological difficulties, such as feeling anxious, low, or depressed.
- Rethink Mental Illness - provide advice on the phone about living with mental illness, medication, care and treatment. They can be called as often as needed and will take time to explain and set out options about what to do next.
- Samaritans - offer you a safe space to talk. You can call The Samaritans free on: 116 123. They are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Turning point - offers mental health support across the country.
- Mind - provide support and confidential help on a range of mental health issues.
- Together for Mental Wellbeing - offer a range of services that support people to live somewhere that is right for them.
If you do not have anywhere to live when you’re released from prison you must speak to your Resettlement Worker as soon as possible. Prisons now have a Duty to Refer if you are eligible for assistance and have a local connection to Derby.
Prison discharge grant
All prisoners are given a discharge grant paid for by the prison when they leave. This is money to help with your costs until any benefits you are entitled to are sorted out.
If a Resettlement Worker has found you accommodation for your first night, you may be eligible for a higher discharge grant (approximately £50 extra), which is paid directly to the accommodation provider.
When you have spent time in prison, you will have support from the Probation Service on your release. Your probation officer may find you a place to stay. Probation Services also have a Duty to Refer to us.
Prisoners and ex-offenders treated as intentionally homeless
We may decide that you are intentionally homeless if you were evicted from your previous home because of criminal or anti-social behaviour. However, we will still aim to work with you to resolve your homelessness.
Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
The Homelessness Reduction Act came into effect in April 2018. This act requires us to help prevent and relieve homelessness within 8 weeks (56 days).
Main Housing duty
If you are still homeless after 8 weeks you may qualify for the main housing duty. The main housing duty, is a duty to provide suitable temporary accommodation until the duty is ended, either by an offer of settled accommodation or for another specified reason.
To qualify for the main housing duty all the following five criteria must apply:
- you need to be eligible for help.
- you need to be homeless.
- you need to be in priority need.
- you need to have become homeless through no fault of your own.
- you need to have a local connection to Derby.