Homelessness and housing options

If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness it is important that you seek advice and support as soon as possible.

If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness it is important that you seek advice and support as soon as possible.

If you are homeless and need our help and support, please contact us: 

  • Freephone: 0808 196 8409 

We appreciate that this is a difficult time and that you will be concerned. Please be reassured that we will do our best to respond to your query as soon as we can. However, please bear with us at this time while we are experiencing additional pressures and there is some disruption to our service. 

Our aim is to work with you to try and prevent homelessness. The homelessness and housing options team (HOT) have developed a range of services to help you keep your home, or to find a new one whether that is renting from a private landlord or a registered provider. 

 

Please contact us at the earliest opportunity if you are at risk of losing your accommodation so that we can give you appropriate advice and assistance to try and prevent this from occurring.  

If you would like some advice, or would like to make an appointment, please contact the homelessness duty officer: 

  • Freephone: 0808 196 8409 
  • Phone: 0345 600 6400 (including out of hours) 

Victims of domestic abuse 

Domestic abuse is any incident of coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial/economic or emotional) between those aged 16 years old or over who are or who have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. 
 
Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and /or dependent by isolating them from sources of support exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour. 
 
Coercive behaviour is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish or frighten their victim. This includes issues of concern to black and minority ethnic communities, such as so called 'honour based' violence, female genital mutilation and forced marriage. 
 
If you are experiencing domestic abuse or violence, the homelessness and housing options team (HOT) can find you emergency accommodation and provide help and advice, working with specialist services to ensure you receive the most appropriate support as quickly as possible. 
 
In an emergency, phone 999 and ask for the Police 

 
The homelessness and housing options team offers free, confidential advice to anyone who has housing problems. We aim to help people to keep their home or help them to find one that meets their needs. We can help you to understand the different options that are available in Northumberland to solve your housing problems. 
 
There is a range of advice and support available in Northumberland. The HOT can help you, or the person you are working with, to understand the different options available to solve housing problems. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone regardless of gender or sexuality. We understand that it can be very difficult to take the first step to get help and if you prefer we can arrange for you to speak to someone who is a specific gender. 
 
Phone: 0345 600 6400 (Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm including out of hours) 
Email: housinghomeless@northumberland.gov.uk 
In person: At your local Customer Service Centre  
 
You can also contact Harbour which is a fully integrated service with a single point of contact available 24 hours a day. Providing confidential, high quality specialist support and advice for women and men who are at risk of domestic abuse. 
 
Advice about the services, including support with domestic a buse, can be accessed through the triage service by calling the confidential phone line available any time day or night. 

 
If you have nowhere to go that night you can contact the emergency out of hours number (after 5.00pm or any time at a weekend): 0345 600 6400 (speak to the operator and ask for the Emergency Homeless Officer) 

The duty of public authorities to refer a homeless person to a local housing authority 

Duty to Refer 
 
The Duty to Refer (DtR) is a duty on specified public authorities to refer service users who they think may be homeless or threatened with homelessness to local authorities homelessness/housing options teams. The service user must give consent and can choose which authority to be referred to. 
 
To register and make an online referral follow this link to the North East Duty to Refer site, alternatively download and complete the Duty to Refer form and email to housinghomeless@northumberland.gov.uk 
  
Before making a referral a public body must have the consent of the individual to make the referral and consent to share their contact details with that authority. The individual should be asked to identify the housing authority in England they wish to be referred to.  
  
If you have any queries, please contact the homelessness and housing options team 

The DtR only applies to these specified public authorities in England and individuals can only be referred to a local housing authority in England. However, any other public authority not identified can also make a referral on a voluntary basis.   
  

Which public authorities are subject to the new DtR? 

The public authorities which are subject to the new DtR include:  

  • Prisons  
  • Youth Offender Institutions  
  • Secure Training Centres  
  • Secure Colleges 
  • Youth Offending Teams 
  •  Probation Services (including community rehabilitation companies)  
  • Jobcentre Plus 
  • Social Service authorities 
  • Emergency Departments 
  • Urgent Treatment Centres 
  • Hospitals in their function of providing inpatient care 
  • The Secretary of State for Defence is also subject to the duty to refer in relation to members of the regular forces which are the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the regular army and the Royal Air Force. 

Illegal evictions 
It is a crime for your landlord to harass you or try to force you out of a property without using proper procedures. If your landlord is using illegal practices of eviction and/or harassment, please contact us for advice and assistance: 

You can find more useful information about harassment and illegal eviction on the Shelter website or here on Gov.uk website 
 
You can find more useful information in the ‘my landlord wants me out’ booklet. 

 

Private renting 
You have certain rights and responsibilities if you are a tenant in privately rented property. Follow this link for more information 
Housing advice 
Ouronline advice wizard offers useful information. Simply spend roughly 15 minutes answering a few questions regarding your circumstances and the wizard will provide you with tailored advice about your options and what to do next. 
Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) 
When it is predicted to be extremely cold (under 0°C for three consecutive nights) we ensure there is a service in place to help rough sleepers find a bed for the night. View our SWEP protocol here 

No Second Night Out 
We want to ensure that no-one spends more than one night on the streets. If you are aware of someone sleeping rough, please report this to Streetlink. 

  • Phone: 0300 500 0194 

Additional useful contacts: 

Our emergency out of hours service will take your call, should you contact us outside of working hours 

  • Phone: 0345 600 6400  

Ask for the duty homeless officer.