Homelessness and rough sleeping

If you are threatened with homelessness, or are homeless, we have a duty to:

• assess the circumstances
• identify what your housing and support needs are
• work with you to try and prevent your homelessness or support you to find somewhere to live.

We will provide a ‘Personal Housing Plan’ (PHP) which will tell you what we can do to help you and what you can do to help yourself. Each group will have different specific recommendations, but it might include attending private sector or supported housing viewings or engaging with organisations’ that can assist your individual needs.

Leaving prison / ex-prisoners

If you have spent time in prison or on remand does not mean, we will treat you as vulnerable and in priority need for housing. We will consider the following:

• the length of time you spent in prison
• if any third-party support is being provided either by the probation service, a youth offending team, or a drug and alcohol team
• evidence provided by any third-party (including any housing needs assessment) about your homelessness vulnerability
• the period since your release from prison and how successful you have been in finding your own accommodation and in keeping that accommodation
• your support network such as family, friends or a probation officer
• evidence of vulnerability such as mental health problems, drug or alcohol misuse, or a history of having been in care
• any other factors that might have an impact on your ability to find accommodation yourself

Leaving hospital

If you are in the hospital and are worried you will be homeless when you are discharged, you should notify the hospital nursing staff as soon as possible. Once notified they will refer you to the Prevention and Assessment Team, who will assess your situation and will try to prevent you from becoming homeless.

If you have a home already but it needs to be adapted, the hospital will refer you to the Occupational Therapy Team in your local authority through adult social care. If you meet the qualifying criteria, they should arrange an assessment of your needs. You may qualify for a Disabled Facilities Grant to pay for any adaptations works needed. 

Help available for older people

Old age does not mean you will automatically be a priority need for accommodation. We will assess all your personal circumstances and consider the information we gather from various sources including any medical professionals involved in your care. Even if we do not have a statutory duty to provide accommodation, we will still actively work with you to try to resolve your housing needs.

The Preventions and Assessment Team will try to identify housing problems at the earliest opportunity to prevent you from becoming homeless. We also offer a couple of schemes below: 

• Council’s Sheltered Housing Scheme – people over 50 can apply for sheltered housing via our scheme. The properties are mainly one bedroom flats, with a small number of two bedroom flats and studio flats. All homes have an emergency alarm, and most have secured phone entry systems. 
   
• Seaside and Country Homes Scheme – for older people wishing to move out of Waltham Forest and away from the hustle and bustle of the city, you might want to consider this scheme. 

Mental illness or impairment

The Prevention and Assessment Team will try to identify housing problems at the earliest opportunity to hopefully prevent you from becoming homeless.

Ex-Armed Forces personnel

The Preventions and Assessment Team will try to identify housing problems at the earliest opportunity to hopefully prevent you from becoming homeless.

Our personal housing plan could include information from:

• The Royal British Legion might be able to help with a rent deposit.
• SSAFA  provide housing advice to people currently serving in the forces and ex-service personnel and their families. 
• Stoll who are Veteran’s housing support services
• Veteran’s gateway is a government website designed to be the first point of contact for veterans seeking support

If you become homeless, you may be considered as being vulnerable if you can show that your vulnerability is because of being a former member of the armed forces.

When deciding this, we will consider:

• how long you were in the forces and what role you had
• if you spent any time in a military hospital
• if you were released from service on medical grounds
• if you have had accommodation since leaving service and if you have been able to obtain or maintain accommodation since you left
• how long it has been since you left the service