Housing Services

Housing advice and options

If you are at risk of losing your home or need housing advice we will:

Provide advice and help on a wide range of housing issues
Work with you to explore all options to prevent you from becoming homeless
Offer you an interview on the same working day if you have a problem needing urgent attention. Alternatively, we can arrange an appointment at a time and location suitable for you
Make sure your enquiry is dealt with by polite, helpful staff who are well trained
Give you a written decision within 33 working days of you making a homeless application
Arrange temporary accommodation for you and your family if you are homeless, in priority need and have no accommodation to stay in while we carry out our enquiries
Offer you the opportunity to ask for a review of the Council's decision not to re-house you within 21 working days of that decision
We will let you know the outcome of the review within 56 working days of receiving your request
Arrange to visit you within 15 working days of receiving a referral for the housing support service

If you want to apply for housing we will:

Help you to apply for housing with us or one of our partner housing associations and help you to fill in your application form
Advise you on your eligibility to apply for council housing
On request, give you a monthly lettings bulletin listing the number of council and housing association homes available
On request, give you village leaflets that include details of council housing in particular villages and information about local facilities
Assess your housing application within ten working days
if you ask us to review our decision about your application, we will work to the following timescales:
- acknowledge your request within five working days
- the review will be completed within 56 working days from the date you asked for it
Assess your special needs application and let you know the result within ten working days
Acknowledge applications for the equity share register within ten working days

Have any reference numbers to hand when you contact us
Complete all sections of application forms in full
If you are on the housing register please let us know, in writing, about any change in circumstances that could affect your application
Please provide all supporting documents that we ask for
Please be polite when contacting us, even if you feel we've done something wrong