22 May 2012Get some urgent advice
Rough Sleepers
Support at court with a Possession or Eviction Hearing
When advice measures fail
Get some urgent advice
The first thing you should do is find out what your rights are where you currently live to ensure that you are being asked to leave your home legally. Unless it is an emergency it is unwise to leave your home without seeking advice first. A Housing Officer at the Council can look at ways to prevent you from becoming homeless and give you support to find somewhere else to live before you become roofless. This help can include for example, advice on benefits, renting privately and debt advice. You can also apply to the Sevenoaks District Housing Register for a housing association property but due to the high numbers of people waiting for housing it will be very unlikely that you will receive an offer of housing before you need to leave your current home. Some applicants on the housing register wait several years before being offered a home. There are also some people who unfortunately will never receive an offer of housing.
When you speak to a housing officer, they will try to ensure that your current accommodation remains available for as long as possible. This may involve speaking to the home owner or landlord and negotiating your temporary return to the property. Other help provided includes arranging for urgent benefits advice and carrying out a review of your finances. The Housing Officer will talk to you about your housing options which will include renting privately, Kent Homechoice and hostels (
PDF File 41KB file details). Being more flexible and open minded with the area and type of housing you will consider will help you find somewhere quicker.
All initial enquiries are dealt with by a telephone interview and you will receive a personalised advice letter and action plan confirming the advice you have been given. To speak to a Housing Officer to obtain some advice please contact the Social Housing Team.
Rough sleepers
If you are sleeping rough and the Council cannot provide you with emergency housing there are lots of organisations who are able to assist.
You can access emergency housing from a hostels ( PDF File 41KB file details). Hostel accommodation varies widely from dormitory style housing to single rooms or flats with shared facilities. There are currently no hostels in the Sevenoaks District and you will need to travel out of the immediate area to take up an offer of this housing. The best time of day to contact a hostel is after 11am each morning to see if they have a vacancy for the following night. If the have no vacancies, you can put your name on their waiting list. All hostels have an assessment process and you will need to complete an application form and have an interview before you will be offered something.
Porchlight is a charitable organisation who support rough sleepers and people who are sofa surfing, or staying on a friend or relatives floor. They can help people to access health services such as a GP, they can provide travel warrants to travel to hostels or important appointments and for those who have nowhere to sleep, they can provide a sleeping bag. To find out more about Porchlight and also their freephone number please visit the Porchlight website.
If you have no money to buy food, a free box of non perishable items, which includes food and basic toiletries may be provided through a charity operated by Sevenoaks Vineyard Church. Sevenoaks Vineyard Church offer a wide range of support which includes help with transport, food and toiletries, befriending, debt advice and second hand furniture.
Support at court with a possession or eviction hearing
If your landlord or lender has started court action against you and you do not have time to contact the Social Housing Team beforehand, you can still get help from the Court Desks located in the Tunbridge Wells and Dartford County Court. Court Desk staff can provide you with legal representation at your hearing and help you to apply for a suspension in the eviction process, allowing you to remain in your home while you obtain independent advice. This service is free if you are eligible for legal aid and if not at a subsidised rate.
When advice measures fail
The Council has a duty to provide advice on preventing homelessness to everyone but in some circumstances, the Council has a duty to provide emergency housing for certain groups of people. These include those who are pregnant, or have a dependent child, people who have a serious health condition or disability that prevents them from finding housing for themselves or people who have become homeless through an emergency such as a fire or flood.
To speak to a Housing Officer about being homeless and to see whether you qualify for emergency housing assistance please contact the Social Housing Team.
