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Homelessness

If you are homeless, face losing your home or are in urgent housing need, we can help you. Every Council must provide advice and information to anyone in their area, free of charge, on the prevention of homelessness, securing accommodation when homeless and any help that may be owed to them under the relevant legislation.

In particular, this advice and information must meet the needs of certain groups of people that may be particularly at risk of homelessness, such as:

If you require any help or assistance in relation to a housing problem, you can access the service by telephone on 01329 236100 by emailing: housing@fareham.gov.uk or in person at the Civic Offices in Fareham between 10:00 - 15:00 Monday to Friday.

If you see someone sleeping rough in the Borough

If you see someone sleeping rough in the Borough, please let us know so that we can help them.

StreetLink is a service that helps connect people sleeping rough in England and Wales with local outreach teams. If you are sleeping rough or see someone sleeping rough you can make an alert online via www.streetlink.org.uk External Hyperlink - Opens in new tab. If someone is in immediate danger or requires urgent medical attention, always call 999.

Fareham Street Aid

Fareham Street Aid, has been launched as a platform for agencies working together in Fareham to help vulnerable people off the streets. The website features information about all the agencies who play a part in helping those sleeping rough in the Borough. It also explains how people can help – whether that be through donating their time, goods, money or food – and provides contact details for charities who can collect and redistribute items. There is also a link for anyone wishing to make a monetary donation. Find out more at www.farehamstreetaid.org.uk External Hyperlink - Opens in new tab

 

Are you homeless or threatened with homelessness?

If it seems likely that you could lose your home within the next 56 days, then you could be threatened with homelessness. You could also be threatened with homelessness if you are served a section 21 notice by your landlord.

If you have nowhere to live, you are homeless. You could also be classed as homeless if you have somewhere to live but either cannot gain access to it, or cannot live there for some reason. These reasons could be:

The 2017 Homelessness Reduction Act

The Homelessness Reduction Act (2017) came into force on 03 April 2018, and significantly changes the previous homelessness legislation. The HRA places a legal duty on councils to offer more support to a greater number of people, and at an earlier stage. It also requires Councils to work together with people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness for a longer period of time.

One of the main changes is that the HRA brings in two new duties:

First, there is the duty to prevent homelessness. The Council must offer meaningful help and advice in an effort to help you keep your existing home. This applies to any eligible person who is threatened with homelessness within the next 56 days, irrespective of whether they have a priority need.

Second, there is the duty to relieve homelessness. The Council will help all those who are eligible and homeless to find suitable accommodation, regardless of whether they are in priority need or considered to be intentionally homeless.

Another major difference is that this is a collaborative approach, and any efforts to either prevent or relieve homelessness are jointly agreed and set out in a Personalised Housing Plan.  However, there may also be penalties if the terms set out in this PHP are not followed.  This procedure PDF (76 KB) sets out the circumstances in which such action may be taken.

If the steps above are not successful then, at the end of the relief duties, those households who are considered to be in priority need will continue to be accommodated. Different duties will apply to those who are found to be non-priority or are intentionally homeless.

Right to Review

If you do make a homeless application we will consider your individual circumstances and decide what, if any, housing duty is owed to you. We must then write to you setting out the reasons for this decision. If you disagree with our decision, you might be able to ask us to reconsider it. This Right to Review guide  PDF (552 KB) explains how you can do that, and what happens if you do.

Duty to Refer

From 1 October 2018, certain public authorities are required to notify a housing authority of service users who they think may be homeless or threatened with homelessness.  This comes from a new Duty to Refer contained within the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. 

The purpose of the new duty is to identify people at risk of homelessness as early as possible to maximise opportunities to prevent homelessness.

The public authorities subject to this new duty are:

A county wide Duty to Refer protocol   PDF (3 MB) and referral form PDF (785 KB) has been developed for use by representatives from these agencies.  Please ensure the person you are referring understands the referral and has given their consent to be referred.

Please email the completed referral form to dutytorefer@fareham.gov.uk.  We will acknowledge receipt of your email and aim to contact the person being referred within 2 working days.

The government has produced guidance for public authorities subject to the duty to refer https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-duty-to-refer/a-guide-to-the-duty-to-refer External Hyperlink (opens in new window).