Homelessness
If you are homeless or worried about becoming homeless we can give you free advice.
We can help you to stay in your current home or, if that is not an option, find a different home.
The earlier you contact us the more we'll be able to help you.
A person is threatened with homelessness if they:
- are likely to become homeless in 56 days
- have received a valid notice to quit (S21 notice)
- have received a notice that their landlord requires possession of accommodation which expires within 56 days.
A person could be homeless if they:
- have no home in the UK or elsewhere that they have a legal right to occupy
- have a movable home such as a boat or caravan and there is nowhere it can be placed lawfully
- are at risk from harm if they stay in their current home.
If you're homeless we'll look at your connections in the area such as:
- how long you've lived in the area
- if you are employed in the area
- you have close family in the area
- other special circumstances.
We'll talk to you about your circumstances. This will help us to understand your situation and any support and help you may need. We'll fill in a Personal Housing Support Plan and agree with you what you need to do and also what we need to do to help you.
Over the course of your application we'll keep you up to date with what we are doing to help you. You'll also need to get in touch with us regularly to tell us what you've done from your Personal Housing Support Plan.
If you would like some more information, contact us..
Special circumstances
We support people in all of these situations:
- Rough sleeping
- Children leaving care and under-18 year-olds
- Leaving hospital
- Leaving prison or youth detention.
You can call the 24 hour freephone number 0800 953 7112 or within office hours call 0191 433 3174, Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm and Friday 8.45am to 4.30pm.
An emergency phone service number 0191 477 0844 is also available out of office hours, 6pm to 8am weekdays and 24 hours on weekends or email housingadvice@gateshead.gov.uk
You can also ask any agencies working with you (for example Jobcentres, prisons, hospitals, armed forces) to contact us on your behalf.
Other organisations that can help
- Oasis Community Housing
- Citizens Advice
- Shelter
- Centrepoint (for young people aged 16-25)
- GOV.UK - Universal Credit and homeless people (opens new window)