For further information, please contact the Strategic Housing
Service:
Telephone: 01638 719345
Email:
housing@forest-heath.gov.uk
Forest Heath District Council has a statutory responsibility
to deal with homelessness in its area and provides temporary
accommodation for homeless people who fall into a 'priority
need' group.
Early last year, Forest Heath achieved a Government target of
having no families with children in bed and breakfast
accommodation, except in emergencies, in advance of the target
date. The challenge now is to ensure that we sustain this
target.
What is meant by homeless?
Homelessness can mean many things to many people, and it can occur
for a variety of reasons, emergency i.e. fire or flood, parents or
friends no longer willing or able to accommodate you, mortgage and
financial difficulties, all of which fit into the criteria below.
- You do not have accommodation available in the UK or
elsewhere.
- You have a home but cannot get in it.
- You have a home but it is considered unreasonable for you to
live there.
- Your family has no home where you are able to live
together.
- You cannot go home due to the risk of violence.
Who can apply as a homeless applicant?
If you are over the age of 16 you can apply to the Council as
homeless, however certain people are not eligible for assistance;
for example those subject to immigration control as determined by
the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996.
What will happen when I apply?
When your application is received, an appointment will be made for
you to be interviewed by an officer at a mutually convenient time.
You will be asked questions about your housing situation and
permission will be sought from you by the Council to carry out the
necessary enquiries to confirm your situation. You may also be
asked to provide certain documents to substantiate your
claim.
If necessary, interim accommodation will be provided whilst your
claim is investigated.
We will deal with your application as quickly as possible, but
obtaining all the relevant information can sometimes take a
while.
It may be possible to give you advice and assistance to prevent you
becoming homeless.
We will write to letting you know the Council´s decision and
explain the Council´s obligation to you.
If you feel that the council´s decision is wrong you have the right
to appeal.
What does being intentionally homeless
mean?
You are considered intentionally homeless if you knowingly do or
don´t do something that leads to the loss of your home.
In these circumstances the Council has only limited duty towards
you, even if you are in priority need. Temporary accommodation only
will be provided for a short time whilst you look for an
alternative place to live.
Does the Council have to supply a home to all homeless
applicants?
The Council has an obligation only to ´priority need´ groups, and
only then if they are homeless due to no fault of their own and
they have a connection with the Forest Heath District area.
What is meant by a priority need group?
- A household that contains children under the age of 16 years or
under 19 years of age if the child is in full time education.
- Pregnant women
- Someone that is less able to find accommodation for themselves
due to age, mental health problems, physical or learning
disabilities or illness.
- Anyone that has been made homeless due to a disaster such as a
fire or flood.
The above categories would also include anyone who would normally
reside with them.
What kind of accommodation will be provided for
me?
If you are eligible, Forest Heath District Council has homeless
temporary accommodation in Newmarket & Brandon. It may be
necessary initially due to the lack of vacancies, to find you
interim accommodation somewhere else i.e. bed and breakfast, until
there is a flat or room available.
During your stay in the homeless accommodation you will stay on the
Council´s housing list until suitable accommodation can be
found.