Homelessness

 We offer support and guidance to those who are experiencing, or are at risk of, homelessness.

Are you homeless or at risk of losing your home?

Whether you are a homeowner or a tenant, our team can provide you with advice and assistance to resolve your housing issue, whether that is to help you remain in your current accommodation or assist you to find a suitable alternative. 

If you need assistance from us, you should contact our team as early as possible, if you are homeless or threatened with homelessness within 56 days. You can contact our team by email at housing.options@copeland.gov.uk or by telephone on 01946 598300, or by completing the online self-referral form.

If you find yourself homeless and needing urgent help outside office hours, please telephone 01946 598300 for our out-of-hours emergency service. 

You can also obtain help and advice by contacting;

Shelter on 0802 800 4444 or in an emergency call 0808 1644 6600

Citizens Advice on 03444 111 444

If you are concerned about someone sleeping rough, a referral can be made to us via https://www.streetlink.org.uk/

What happens if you're classed as homeless?

You will be given an appointment with our team (you will be seen the same day if you have nowhere to stay that night).

• We will carry out a full assessment of your circumstances and needs
• Temporary accommodation will be provided if applicable
• Help with registering with the housing associations in the district will be provided
• Help to find and secure private rented accommodation will be provided
• An officer will continue to advise and support you until alternative accommodation has been found
• Further support is available to help you in your new accommodation

What happens if you're threatened with homelessness?

If you are threatened with homelessness within 56 days, please contact us to arrange an appointment.

Our team will work with you to prevent you becoming homeless. The things we can do to help include:

• Liaising and negotiating with landlords and checking that your notice is valid
• Assisting with housing benefit issues and Discretionary Housing Benefit applications
• Providing financial assistance from the Prevention Fund, including the provision of the rent guarantee scheme. Further details are available on the on the process and procedure.
• Family mediation
• Supported hostel accommodation for young people (16-25)
• Supported hostel accommodation for 25+

Further information

Our team can provide you with detailed advice and assistance on a range of topics.

With the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, we are now required to provide bespoke advice on several specified groups which may require additional support and advice. Those groups are as follows:

• Care leavers
• People currently at risk of domestic abuse
• People leaving hospital
• People leaving prison
• People leaving the armed forces
• People suffering from mental health issues

We have created a series of futher information guides which can be found below:

Parents evicting you from your home

Relationship breakdown and can no longer live with your co-habitant

Leaving the armed forces, or you are a former member, and have nowhere to go

Leaving the prison and have nowhere to go

Older and looking for sheltered accommodation

Suffer from domestic abuse and need to get help

Leaving the care system

Suffering a mental illness or impairment

Coming to the end of a tenancy and being evicted

Leaving hospital and have nowhere to go

Reporting requirement

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) requires us to report on our homelessness activity – this is known as H-CLIC (Homeless Case Level Information Collection). The DLUHC wants to learn more about the help provided to people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. They want to use the information you provide about how you have become homeless (or threatened with homelessness), your housing history and the sort of things that you need help and support with. They also want to look at how you use other public services and benefits you receive. Your personal details (such as your name) will be needed for this, but the researchers will not know whose information they’re looking at.

Your information will be kept safe and confidential, and handled with care and in accordance with the law.

If you want to know more information about H-CLIC, you can contact the Housing Options Team or visit https://gss.civilservice.gov.uk/statistics/working-with-users/dclg-homelessness-statistics-user-forum/