The Housing Options and Homelessness Prevention Service

Emergency Homelessness

If you have become homeless in an emergency we are able to offer emergency accommodation to some vulnerable households. 

Our booklet Are you homeless? A guide for homeless applicants in Gloucester City| gives greater detail on how we can help. Emergency homeless service details within Gloucester are detailed here Click here to view Housing Services contact details and opening times| 

Prevention

As soon as you think there is something you need help with you should contact us.   We frequently need to investigate complex cases, and to verify what you are telling us, so the more time we have the better.

If you think you may become homeless soon we will always do our best to prevent you from actually becoming Homeless.

If, for example, you have received a Notice to Quit from your landlord bring it in to show us as soon as possible so that we can advise you best how to proceed - we may be able to prevent the Notice from being taken any further, and so keep you in your home

Housing Advice can give you sound and detailed advice on how to deal with Private Sector Tenancy problems.

We can negotiate with your landlord to resolve issues you may have in your present tenancy. In some cases we may be able to assist with financial assistance from our tenancy rescue fund.

Your rights as a private tenant and landlord are outlined in the following publications:

Assured & Assured Shorthold Tenancies - A Guide for tenants|

Assured and Assured Shorthold Tenancies - A Guide for Landlords|

Do you rent, or are you thinking of renting from a private landord?|

Guide to Homeowners Mortgage Support|

Letting rooms in your home - A Guide for resident Landlords|

My landlord wants me out - protection against harassment & illegal eviction|

Notice that you must leave a brief guide for landlords and tenants|

Private Tenants – keeping your deposit safe|

Park Homes fact sheets - Residents Rights and Obligations|

Tenants guide to energy performance certificates|

We have a lot of other ways to prevent Homelessness. These include:

If you are a young person who has been asked to leave home, we can mediate between you and your parents. In some cases we can offer nominal payments to relatives to enable you to stay with them in the short term until alternative accommodation becomes available. 

If you are a home owner and are facing possession action from your mortgage company.  Click here for details on how we may be able to assist you.|

Independent Advice

We fund Advice and Advocacy services in Gloucester which includes, amongst others, the national organisation Shelter, Gloucester Law Centre and the Citizens Advice Bureau. We may feel that a referral to them will be helpful and they can take up the case on your behalf, free of charge. These organisations can also be contacted direct:

Housing Options

If we cannot help you remain in your current home we can offer advice on how to source alternative accommodation within Gloucester.

We may also be able to offer you Rent in Advance and/or monies towards a deposit to secure a suitable home within the city. This assistance is for clients who couldn't otherwise afford to access accommodation. It must be stressed that this money is discretionary and subject to availability of funds.

We also have arrangements with public and private sector Housing providers to nominate our clients to be their tenants. These arrangements include Housing for some special needs groups (such as those with a Mental Health problem) and accommodation where Support is also provided.

The main thing to remember is to act early, and give us as much accurate information as you can, so that we have more chance of helping you.  Click here for a guide of the information you will need to bring with you to help us help you.|

Availability of Service

If you think we may be able to help you can visit us at Gloucester City Council. Click here to view Housing Services contact details and opening times|

WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE HOMELESS PREVENTION SERVICE:

If you have received advice from the Homeless Prevention Team we would welcome your comments about the service your received by completing a Customer Satisfaction Feedback Form|.

Click here to view the Housing Newsletter|