Homelessness and Housing Advice

We can provide help and assistance if you are homeless or threatened with homelessness.

This can be done in person, by phone or by email by contacting the Housing Needs Officers at your local Contact Centre.

What if I am homeless?

If you are homeless, there is a risk of losing your home or you are in unsuitable accommodation you should contact the Housing Needs Officer to discuss your options.

We will be able to give advice on a range of options, these include advice on private sector accommodation, acting as an advocate on your behalf to prevent homelessness and putting you in touch with specialist agencies when appropriate.

What kind of help will the Council give me?

We will investigate your circumstances based on information and evidence provided by you. If you are, or are about to become, homeless and you are in priority need we may have a duty to secure accommodation for you.

You may be priority need, if you are a young person, elderly or have dependant relatives in your household or health issues.

We will also look at why you are homeless, for example if you have not paid your rent, or have been asked to leave because of your behaviour it is unlikely that we will be able to secure you accommodation.We may offer advice only.

What am I entitled to if I am accepted as homeless?

You will be interviewed by an experienced officer who will conduct full enquiries on our behalf. This officer will be your point of contact throughout your application and will make a decision on your application once all enquiries are complete.

If you fail to respond to a request for information or you lose contact with us then it may be deemed that you wish to withdraw your application.It is important therefore that you supply all information and keep in touch.

As part of our investigations we will need to contact other people, but we will only do this with your permission.

If, after carrying out our enquiries we find that you are not owed a duty under the current housing legislation, usually due to you being either intentionally homeless, not homeless or ineligible, then you have the right to request a review of the decision.

What if I am not happy with the decision?

All reviews of homelessness decisions are undertaken by an independent officer who is senior to the officer who made the original decision and who was not connected with the original decision.

If, after carrying out our enquiries, we find that you are homeless and this was not your fault we will try to secure you accommodation.

This does not always mean you will be offered a Council property.In many cases we will try to prevent your homelessness or look at other options.

Information and advice can also be availablefrom the following support agencies:

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)– 0844 8489800

Chesterfield Law Centre – 01246 550674

National Debt Line – 0808 8084000

North Derbyshire Women’s Aid – 01246 540444

Pathways Day Centre - 01246 622990

2 Shires Credit Union - 01909 500575

Our standards are

  • To try to give you advice that is suitable and realistic to your circumstances.

January 2015