Homelessness

If we can't resolve your housing difficulties, we may need to take a homeless application from you. We will need to look into your circumstances to see what help you are entitled to. Our contact details can be found on the right hand side of this page.

The level of advice and assistance offered can vary depending on your circumstances.

We have to look at five main issues when we assess your homeless application:

  • Are you eligible?
  • Are you homeless?
  • Are you in priority need?
  • Are you intentionally homeless?
  • Do you have a local connection to the Stockton area?

Eligible for assistance

Some groups of people who have lived abroad are not eligible for help from the Council if they are homeless. If you are not eligible for assistance, the Council has no further duty to help you regardless of your circumstances.

Homeless

The Council has to look at any accommodation you have access to. We will look at your situation as a whole before deciding if you are homeless.

Priority Need

The Council has to look into your circumstances to decide if you are in priority need. The priority need categories are determined by legislation.

Intentionality

The Council will make enquiries into the reason you became homeless to decide if you deliberately did (or didn't do something) that caused you to leave accommodation you could have stayed in.

Local Connection

If we have decided that you are eligible, homeless, in priority need and not intentionally homeless, we will assess your application to see if you have a local connection to the area. If you don't have a local connection to this area, you may be referred to another area where you do have a local connection.

Temporary Accommodation

If we believe that you may be eligible, homeless and in priority need, we have a duty to provide temporary accommodation. The temporary accommodation we offer you will be the most suitable we have available at the time.

Homelessness