Emergency Accommodation

If you are not eligible to be housed by the council but have nowhere else to stay, emergency accommodation provided by the voluntary sector may be your only option.

There are a number of different types of emergency accommodation, catering for many different groups and providing a broad range of services and facilities. Due to the high demand, accessing emergency accommodation can be difficult, so assistance from an advice centre or council is likely to improve your chances of finding a place to stay.

Who is eligible?

The eligibility criteria to access emergency accommodation can vary greatly. While many hostels are able to help homeless people subject to space being available, others can be more specialised.

Specialist hostels tend to have funding aimed at assisting a specific client group, such as ex-offenders, people fleeing domestic violence, people with drug and alcohol problems or people with a mental illness etc.

A housing adviser will be able to advise you on which form of emergency accommodation is available to you.

Hostels

In London, charities run a number of hostels for homeless people. Most vacancies are reserved by special outreach teams that work on the streets with rough sleepers. A small number of places are available for other people, but each day there may be only a few vacancies available across London.

The type of accommodation varies. Modern hostels have single-rooms and rooms shared between two, but some of the older hostels have larger dormitory-style rooms. In most cases they have staff to help you find more permanent accommodation.

Hostels charge a weekly rent and are generally more expensive than renting a room from a private landlord. Most people staying in hostels claim housing benefit to pay the rent.

Additional temporary shelters sometimes open over the winter months, usually from December to March. They tend to be in outer-London areas which don’t have year-round hostels. These hostels provide free emergency accommodation on a night-by-night basis.

Foyers for young people

Foyers are similar to hostels but specialise in helping young people (usually from 16 to 25) who want to develop skills and prepare for living independently. In addition to providing accommodation, they can help you access education or training and provide help to find work.

Bed and Breakfast

Bed and breakfast hotels are privately run and tend to be more expensive than hostels, and as such are most suited to offering shorter-term accommodation. Some may ask you to pay charges in advance and in some instances there may be no cooking facilities. Sometimes occupants might not be allowed to stay in their room during the day, and most do not accept people claiming housing benefit.

How do I access emergency accommodation?

Access to emergency accommodation can vary greatly. Some are direct access, some have waiting lists while others will only accept referrals from the council. 

• Talk to one of our housing advisers who can give you information and advice about different types of emergency accommodation and help you decide which option is best for you 
• Our housing adviser can also check whether there are any places available in local hostels, and if you are eligible, provide you with a referral to access one of these vacancies 
• Any voluntary sector housing advice centre can also provide you with information about emergency accommodation and possible vacancies

Contact Details

If you would like more information or advice about emergency accommodation, please contact our Housing Services unit on 020 7926 4200.

The housing charity Shelter will also be able to direct you to the nearest available emergency accommodation. Contact Shelter’s free helpline on 0808 800 4444.