If you're homeless and the council won't house you

If you can’t get housing from the council, there are other options you can try to get somewhere to live. This includes finding somewhere you can stay urgently and a longer-term home.

If the council have decided they won’t help you and you think they might be wrong, check if you can challenge the council’s homeless decision.

Getting help from social services

Social services might be able to find you somewhere to live if you're homeless and any of the following apply:

• you’re 16 or 17 years old and you don't have family you can live with

• you’re responsible for a child who normally lives with you

• you’re ill, disabled or have mental health needs

• you’re 18 to 25 years old and you used to live in care

Check if you can get homeless help from social services.

If you need somewhere to stay urgently

You’II need to consider finding a temporary place to stay if you don’t have anywhere you can stay tonight.

It’s worth asking friends or family members if you can stay with them while you find somewhere.

If you’ve slept outside overnight or you’re planning to sleep outside tonight

You can get help from Streetlink. They’ll help you get help from your local council or charities. You’ll need to tell Streetlink where you’re sleeping on their website. They’ll find you and help you find somewhere to stay.

You might be able to get a place to stay in a hostel, night shelter, refuge or bed and breakfast. You can ask your local council for contact details of places to stay. Find your local council on GOV.UK.

You'll usually need to be referred to a hostel or night shelter by an advice or support agency. Talk to an adviser to see if they can refer you. They might also be able to give you advice and details of other support you can get, for example hot meals and showers.

Some places will let you call or walk-in to book a place - it’s best to call first to check if you can visit to book a place.

You’II still need to pay rent if you’re staying in a hostel, night shelter or refuge. You might be able to get Universal Credit or Housing Benefit to help you pay the rent - check what benefits you can get.

If you can’t stay in your home because of violence, threats or other abuse

It’s best to look for a place in a refuge. They can help to keep you safe because they don’t advertise their address details. You can also get specialist advice and support.  

You can arrange to get a place in a refuge by calling one of the following charities:

• Refuge or Women's Aid on 0808 2000 247 at any time

• Men's Advice Line on 0808 801 0327, Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm

Calls to these numbers are free.

If you don't want to call the refuge yourself you can be referred by your local council. If you need help calling the refuge, talk to an adviser.

If you can’t find a place in a refuge, contact your local council - they should find somewhere safe for you to stay. You can find your local council on GOV.UK.

Finding a longer-term home

Getting longer-term housing can take a long time so it’s important to make sure you’ve found a temporary place to stay first.

Finding a private rented home is usually the quickest way of getting longer-term housing. It can be difficult to find affordable housing in some areas so it’s worth searching a few places.

If you’re on a low income or get benefits you can get help with your private renting costs. This includes getting help to pay a deposit.

You can also check if you can apply for a council or housing association home. This is the best way to get an affordable home - it’s likely to be cheaper than renting privately and offers more security.

You might be able to apply even if your local council couldn’t give you temporary housing when you applied for homeless help.

You'll usually be placed on a waiting list when you apply - it can take a long time to get to the top of the list. You can check how your local council’s waiting list works on their website - search for their ‘allocations policy’. Find your local council on GOV.UK.

Applying for a charitable grant

You might be able to apply for a charitable grant to help you get somewhere to live. Get information on charitable grants on the Turn2Us website.