Temporary housing services

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

Our Housing Options and Advice Service 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.

An 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 under Housing Act 1996, Part VII.

If you are eligible for assistance, homeless and in priority need, 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 and breakfast accommodation

We have developed a wide range of approaches to providing temporary accommodation. In most instances we will try to 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 access where you will remain until appropriate alternative temporary accommodation can be found.

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 areas several times per week. However, all residents are expected to clean shared or communal facilities after use.

The hostels are managed by 2 teams for the north and south of the borough and staffed by hostel officers and porter/cleaners. The 2 group offices are staffed 9 - 5, Monday to Friday and can be contacted as follows:

• North Hostel Group, Gary Whiting - Hostel Manager Phone: 020 7926 6763
• South Hostel Group, Tina Okafor - Hostel Manager Phone: 020 7926 6775

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.

Go to our Leasing schemes frequently asked questions page if you are placed in a leasing scheme and need more information.

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 and 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 license 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 accommodations.

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.