Emergency and temporary housing

Not everyone is eligible for emergency and temporary housing. 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.

If you decide that the alternative options we offer are not for you, and we find that your homelessness is not preventable, you may make a homelessness application.

Homelessness assessment

An assessment officer at a homelessness assessment interview will consider if you are legally homeless or threatened with homelessness and in priority need and eligible for accommodation and assistance. .

If you are eligible for assistance, homeless and in priority need, emergency housing may be offered whilst your homeless application is being looked at.  This enables us to assess whether you are:

• Homeless 
• Eligible for assistance 
• In priority need 
• Not intentionally homeless 
• Have a local connection with the Lambeth area

The amount of help you are entitled to will depend on the outcome of our enquiries and how many of the above criteria you meet.

Emergency housing if you are homeless

In most instances we will try to find you emergency housing within the borough to match your family needs. However the impact of the Welfare Reform Changes and the Benefit Cap makes this increasingly difficult.

This is because many  homeless households are unable to afford to pay the amount of rent for emergency housing  located in London.

Therefore if we agree to provide you emergency housing, this might be one in another part of London or even in other regions of the country. 

Supporting your access to training and employment

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