Temporary housing services

Temporary accommodation

Not everyone is eligible for temporary accommodation. Most homelessness is preventable if you act promptly.

Our homeless preventions and options team will do everything they can to prevent you becoming homeless in the first place or make a referral for you to get help to secure suitable alternative settled accommodation for you and your family by way of direct lettings in the private rented sector.

A homeless assessment officer at an assessment interview will consider if you are legally homeless or threatened with homelessness and in priority need and eligible for accommodation and assistance as set out in law.

If you are eligible for assistance, temporary accommodation may be offered whilst your homeless application is being looked at or if the council has made a positive decision that it has accepted a duty to rehouse you and you are waiting permanent housing.

If we agree to provide temporary accommodation this might be one of the following:

• Hostel accommodation
• A property leased in the private rented sector
• Housing association stock
• Bed & breakfast accommodation

We have developed a wide range of approaches to providing temporary accommodation. In most instances we will find you temporary accommodation within the borough to match your family needs. We work with a range of public and private sector partners providing good quality and well-managed properties. This has meant we are not over reliant on any one scheme. 

Temporary accommodation schemes:

Hostels

There are 32 council owned and managed hostels sites, with 335 rooms accommodating some 300 households. Some hostels are residential houses with shared facilities, usually accommodating five or six people. A few of our sites provide self-contained accommodation and our entire hostel units are furnished, but you’ll need to provide your own household items.

Hostel accommodation is used as first stage emergency access where you remain for a maximum of 10 weeks.

Most of our hostels have no staff resident on site, but our hostel officers visit hostels three times a week. Our porter cleaners clean all communal bathrooms and kitchens daily. However, all residents are expected to clean shared or communal facilities after use.

The hostels are managed in five groups dispersed around the borough and staffed by hostel officers and porter/cleaners. The five group offices are staffed 9 - 5, Monday to Friday and can be contacted as follows: 

Effra Road Group, Phone: 020 7926 2542

Jeffrey’s Road Group, Phone: 020 7926 7502

Madeira Road Group, Phone: 020 7926 5838

Polworth Rd Group, Phone: 020 7926 6762

Tooting Bec Gardens Group, Phone: 020 7926 6760

If you are placed in hostel accommodation and need more information please see our frequently asked questions page.

Leasing schemes

You will only be suitable for these schemes if you are homeless and in priority need, and not intentionally homeless, and who the council has accepted it has a legal duty to rehouse.

You are placed to this type of accommodation under non-secure tenancy agreements, which set out the conditions of tenancy. The accommodation is furnished. Households can expect a full landlord service including repairs and maintenance and day-to-day management of tenancies. Any breaches of your tenancy agreement will be dealt with accordingly and could result in you being evicted from your accommodation.

While living in one of these properties you are expected to pay your rent, council tax, and utility costs i.e. heating, lighting and water. Advice and practical help is given on claiming housing benefit before you are nominated to any of these schemes.

If you are placed in a leasing scheme and need more information please see our frequently asked questions page.

Private sector agency scheme

Estate agents or property management companies are able to lease properties to the council, but will retain all the management of the tenancy, maintenance of the property and liaison with the landlord.

The council may make a nomination direct to a number of agents with whom we have developed long-standing relationships, who will arrange a viewing and tenancy sign up for the property.

If you are placed in this type of accommodation and need to contact your agent for a tenancy management issue phone:

Solid Homes, Phone: 020 8683 6499
Denhan International, Phone: 020 8764 2310
Midos Group, Phone: 020 8800 3366

Housing initiative leasing scheme

A leasing scheme whereby the council in partnership with London and Quadrant Housing Trust has secured under 10 year lease arrangements a number of units of family size accommodation to keep homeless families out of bed and breakfast hotels.

If you are placed in this scheme and have a tenancy management issue contact:

London and Quadrant Housing Trust, Phone: 020 8225 3402

Bed & breakfast hotels

We only use bed and breakfast hotels as temporary accommodation for families with children in emergencies, and even then for no more than six weeks. The council has significantly reduced its dependence on the use of shared bed and breakfast for families with children by securing more self-contained homes. Shared bed and breakfast does not provide the most appropriate environment for families with children, who are no longer forced to live for excessive lengths of time in cramped and overcrowded hotel rooms.

We recognise that bed and breakfast accommodation is not ideal for some single vulnerable young people and we are addressing this. A number of self-contained studio style units have been developed within the bed and breakfast framework for single vulnerable people.

For move on arrangements and management issues contact Temporary Housing Services, Phone: 020 7926-4250

Self-contained hotel annexes

Some households are placed in self-contained hotel annexes. These are more suitable than shared bed and breakfast and are good quality self-contained accommodation provided with your own cooking and washing facilities. You are likely to be placed in this type of accommodation while the council make certain enquiries and consider your homeless application under the law.

For move on arrangements and management issues contact Temporary Housing Services: Phone: 020 7926 4250

Licensed temporary accommodation

In certain cases we are able to use our own stock for temporary accommodation. These are one-bedroom council properties and are rented by way of a licence agreement. While living in one of these properties you are expected to pay your rent, council tax, and utility costs i.e. heating, lighting and water.

These properties are usually unfurnished. If this is the case we can provide furnishing for an additional cost which is added to your rent. 

For move on arrangements and management issues contact Temporary Housing Services: Phone: 020 7926 4250

Minimising moves

Every effort is made to minimise movement between temporary accommodation.

Improving access to services and support

We want to ensure that you have access to health, education, employment and social services. It is important that you discuss with your temporary accommodation officer your specific needs. This will enable us to ensure that we are responsive to your needs and give information that enables you to manage your choices and opportunities and maximise your access to community facilities.

Therefore it is vitally important that you raise issues of concern to ensure that we are responsive to the care and support you need to plan for your future move.

Supporting your access to training and employment

Free advice and practical support to help you find work if you living in temporary accommodation, currently unemployed and you are committed to finding employment.

Pre-tenancy training sessions

Do you know when, why, where and how you will get your new permanent home? Do you know what your rights and responsibilities are? Are you interested in finding out the answers in a comfortable and supportive learning environment?

Lambeth Temporary Housing Services in association with Broadway and ‘Its your move’ run a regular series of free training sessions which are targeted at anyone living in Lambeth temporary accommodation and where the council have agreed to rehouse you permanently. Delivered by qualified trainers from Broadway, and staff from Lambeth Housing Services, these sessions are fun and informative.

The aim is to provide effective support to homeless people moving into their own independent permanent accommodation after a stay in temporary accommodation. We want to develop and improve new and existing skills, knowledge and levels of confidence around moving to and maintaining a tenancy.

What will the sessions be like?

Each session will be delivered by an experienced trainer from Broadway, someone from Lambeth Housing Services and invited specialist guest speakers.

• You will benefit from Broadway’s training expertise and Lambeth Temporary Housing Services staff’s knowledge of the area and the process you are going through.
• It will be nothing like school or college – the trainers will not stand at the front and lecture.
• You will learn from each other and share your experiences and gain some practical hints from the trainers.
• You will take part in practical activities and discussions and get informative handouts that you can take away with you.

Topics we have covered to date include: 

• Preparing to move 
• Receiving and viewing an offer 
• Furnishing your home 
• Dealing with bills and utilities 
• Living in Lambeth 
• Welfare benefits - single and with no dependants 
• Welfare benefits - with dependants 
• Access to training, education and employment 
• Dealing with arrears and avoiding debt 
• Being a Lambeth tenant

If you want to be well prepared for making your move a success – then this series of ‘Moving on’ sessions is definitely for you!

For more information about dates/times/venues of future training sessions contact Temporary Housing Services on 020 7926 4206.

Contact details

Temporary Housing Services
2-7 Townhall Parade
Brixton Hill SW2 1RP

Fax: 020 7926 4250
Tel: 020 7926 4285

Useful numbers:

For general temporary accommodation enquiries:
Phone: 020 7926 4250

For storage of personal belongings:
Phone: 0207 926 4255

Lettings First
For landlord enquiries and tenancy management issues:
Phone: 0845 064 0000

Private Sector Agency Scheme
For landlord enquiries and tenancy management issues:
Solid Homes, Phone: 020 8683 6499
Denhan International, Phone: 020 8764 2310
Midos, Phone: 020 8800 3366

For general enquiries concerning Private Sector Agency Schemes:
Phone: 020 7926 4268.