HELP FOR SINGLE PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS OR AT RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS SP180436v2 If you have been provided with this leaflet, it means the Council has assessed your case and found you to be ‘non-priority’. This means the Council does not have a duty to provide you with emergency accommodation.
However, the Council does have a duty to work with you for 56 days to try to find you somewhere else to live.
If you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless within 56 days you can contact the Housing Needs section for assistance. The Council has a duty to try to prevent you from becoming homeless.
This means we will try and keep you in your current home or get you back into your last address. By speaking to or visiting the person who has asked you to leave (i.e. your landlord, parents, friend, relative).
If the Council cannot negotiate to keep you in your home, and you become homeless we will try and relieve your homelessness by finding you somewhere else to live.
Housing Options Your case worker will talk to you about the different options that may be available to you.
Options that will be explored include: • YMCA (the nearest ones are in Bishops Stortford & Welwyn Garden City) • Renting a room in a shared house • Moving in with a friend or relative and paying rent • If you attend college or university, exploring the option of student accommodation • If you are over 35 years old and can financially afford it, the Council may help you to secure a privately rented flat • Securing employment with tied accommodation.
2 Homeless decision At the end of the 56 days, if the Council has been unable to secure accommodation for you, you will be able to make a homeless application. You will be issued with a decision letter advising why the Council does not have a duty to provide you with accommodation under Part VI of the Housing Act 1996. You can review this decision and seek legal advice to help you with this.
Hostels If you have nowhere to stay and the Council cannot offer you temporary accommodation, there are hostels that may have vacancies. Unfortunately, there is no hostel accommodation for homeless people within the Borough of Broxbourne. However, below is some information about hostels in the surrounding areas. Some hostels may be closed during the day. Direct access or emergency hostels usually accept self-referrals, do not have waiting lists and have relatively frequent vacancies. Other hostels have application forms and keep waiting lists for when there is a vacancy. In recent years, bed spaces in hostels in some areas have been prioritised for people with a local connection. To avoid going a long way and finding that a hostel cannot help you, it is better to contact the hostel by phone or email first. If you have nowhere to stay tonight, you can call Shelter’s helpline: 0800 800 4444 (8am-8pm Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm weekends). Homeless UK Information on services, including hostels, day centres and other advice and support services for homeless people and those at risk of homelessness. www.homelessuk.org
3 Hostel accommodation
Hertfordshire St Albans Bishop’s Stortford 3. St Albans Open Door Project Ages 18+ 1. YMCA East Herts (formerly YMCA Single rooms Bishop’s Stortford) Meals provided Ages 18-28 Shelter open 6pm - 8.15am Single persons Self referral drop-in service 1pm - Not direct access 2.30pm Application form and interview 8 Bricket Road, St Albans 4 Northgate End Herts AL1 3JX Bishop’s Stortford 01727 859113 Hertfordshire CM23 2EX [email protected] 01279 838068 www.hpcha.org.uk/open-door [email protected] www.easthertsymca.com 4. Kent House Ages 18+ Hitchin Single people and couples Priority to those with a local connection to 2. North Herts Sanctuary Hertfordshire Ages 18+ Application form - not direct access Shared rooms 1 New Kent Road, St Albans Meals provided Herts AL1 3XF Self referral 10am - 4pm weekdays 01727 838250 Shelter open 7pm - 8.30am [email protected] 25 Nightingale Road www.hpcha.org.uk Hitchin SG5 1QU 01462 435835 nhsanctuary@northhertssanctuary. Stevenage co.uk 5. Stevenage Haven www.northhertssanctuary.org.uk Ages 18+ 5 Ditchmore Lane Stevenage SG1 3LJ 01438 354884 [email protected] www.haven.btck.co.uk
4 Watford Welwyn Garden City 6. Grow Hostel 8. YMCA Central Herts Men only Single persons Ages 25 - 60 Priority to ages 18-30 Medium to longer term hostel Single rooms, sharing a shower and toilet Main house 11 residents Breakfast and evening meal provided Primary aim is to rehabilitate residents Not direct access – application form and suffering from drug and alcohol misuse interview issues, providing them with a safe and Peartree Lane secure environment back to a ‘normal’ Welwyn Garden City life free from substances, or as we like to Hertfordshire AL7 3UL put it – a bridge to normal living. 01707 351 400 36 Rickmansworth Road [email protected] Watford www.ymcacentralherts.org.uk Herts WD18 7HT 01923 256189 Essex [email protected] Braintree www.growhostel.org.uk 9. Salvation Army – New Direction 7. YMCA Watford (formerly Watford Centre and District) Ages 18+ Ages 18-59 Self catering Single persons New Direction Lifehouse Must be from Hertfordshire and / or have David Blackwell House a local connection 25-27 Bocking End Single rooms, sharing a shower and toilet Braintree Breakfast and evening meal provided Essex CM7 9AE Not direct access – application form and 01376 553373 interview [email protected] Charter House, Charter Place www.salvationarmy.org.uk/lne/ Watford NewDirection Hertfordshire WD17 2RT 01923 353600 Chelmsford [email protected] 10. CHESS (Chelmsford Night shelter) www.ymcawatford.org Ages 18+ Breakfast and evening meal Direct access 23-24 George Street Chelmsford Essex CM2 0JU 01245 252 410 Email via the website www.chelmsfordchess.org
5 Colchester London 11. Colchester Emergency Night 14. YMCA Forest shelter Ages 18-30 Ages 18+ Self-contained rooms Direct access Not direct access – application form 39-41 Alexandra Road 642 Forest Road Colchester CO3 3DF Walthamstow 01206 549885 London E17 3EF [email protected] 020 8509 4600 www.colchesternightshelter.org.uk [email protected] www.forestymca.org.uk Romford 15. YMCA North London (formerly 12. YMCA Romford YMCA Hornsey) Ages 18-35 Ages 16-35 Not direct access - Application form Direct access Rush Green Road 184 Tottenham Lane Romford Crouch End Essex RM7 0PH London N8 8SG 01708 766211 020 8340 2345 [email protected] Email via the website www.romfordymca.org www.ymcahornsey.org.uk Southend on Sea 16. Church Army – Marylebone 13. HARP Bradbury Centre Project Emergency hostel – direct access Women only 103-107 York Road Ages 18-60 Southend on Sea Emergency beds – up to 10 days SS1 2DL Bradbury House 01702 430696 1-5 Cosway Street [email protected] London NW1 5NR www.harpsouthend.org.uk 020 7262 3818
17. Elgood House 10 Daventry Street London NW1 5NX Transitional accommodation for 40 women 020 7402 4971 [email protected] www.churcharmy.org.uk
6 18. Missionaries of Charity – Gift of 21. Jimmy’s Cambridge Love Single homeless Single homeless men Ages 18-65 Ages 25 + Direct access Shared accommodation Can accept people with dogs Direct access Contact in person 8am – 9.30pm Breakfast and dinner provided Require NI number for Housing Benefit 112-116 St George’s Road claim London SE1 6EU Breakfast and evening meal 020 7620 1504 (from 4pm Monday, 1 East Road Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Cambridge Saturday) 01223 576085 [email protected] 19. Missionaries of Charity – Home of www.jimmyscambridge.org.uk Peace
Single homeless women Bedfordshire Ages 18-60 Direct access Luton Shared facilities, breakfast and dinner provided 22. Luton Night shelter Self-referrals and referrals from any Ages 16+ agency You must provide current proof of benefits 179 Bravington Road being received in the form of an income London W9 3AR letter signed and dated that same day by Phone 3pm – 5:30pm for vacancies the benefits agency 020 8969 2631 189 Dallow Rd www.homelessuk.org Luton Bedfordshire LU1 1NX Cambridgeshire 01582 486969 [email protected] Cambridge 20. Corona House Single homeless women Ages 18+ Not direct access Six self-contained flats, self-catering 1 Corona Road Cambridge CB4 3EE 01223 369125 [email protected]
7 Housing Needs Department, Borough of Broxbourne, Bishops’ College, Churchgate, Cheshunt EN8 9XG Tel: 01992 785555 Email: [email protected] Visit: www.broxbourne.gov.uk 8