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Housing Options information and advice
Homelessness Reduction Act - Duty to Refer and strengthening partnership working
Homelessness Reduction Act provides an opportunity to work more closely with partners in notifying us of people who are at risk of/are homeless.
It is important partners understand their role in identifying people at risk of homelessness at an earlier stage and refer them to the Housing Options Service to help the person resolve their homelessness.
The Housing Options Service will work closely with the named public bodies under the Duty to Refer
The Duty to Refer will commence in October 2018. The agencies that will have this mandatory duty are:
- 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 above public bodies must refer details of any person they are aware of who is homeless or at risk of homelessness within 56 days, via the ALERT portal. Please be aware that the consent of the individual you are referring must be sought prior to referral.
If public bodies are unable to access the portal an email with details of the person/family and circumstances can be emailed to dutytorefer@towerhamlets.gov.uk. For more information visit the ALERT Duty to Refer portal.
The Housing Options service consists of several teams
- Private Housing Advice team
- Options & Preventions Families
- Options & Preventions Singles
- Options & Preventions Young People
- Housing Management team
- Income recovery & debit control
- Accommodation Procurement team
- Business Support team
- Lettings.
Private Housing Advice team
The Housing Advice team will see any clients, with or without dependants, who are tenants of private sector or housing association landlords. The issues they deal with include problems with rent arrears, repairs, problems with deposits, and any disputes with landlords including potential illegal eviction.
The Money Advisers can help to look at the best way to manage debt or direct customers to a partner organisation to assist.
http://www.stepchange.org/Partnerships/Promote60seconddebttest.aspx
Private Housing Advice team can be contacted on
Tel: 020 7364 3558
Email: housing.advice@towerhamlets.gov.uk.
Housing Advice Information
Options and prevention families
The Housing Options Families team sees clients who have or are expecting children and who are at risk of being made homeless.
Officers interview clients to assess exactly what their housing problems are and what their best options are. Their goal is to prevent homelessness which will involve making checks on the information they have been provided, negotiating with the host, carrying out visits and discussing other options.
There may be other problems related or unrelated to our customers’ housing problems and we will help them access the advice and assistance they need by directing them to other sources of help.
They can be contacted on
Tel: 020 7364 7474
Email: homeless@towerhamlets.gov.uk.
Options and prevention singles
HOST (Housing Options Support Team) see single people or couples without dependants. They make all possible efforts to prevent homelessness through advice and appropriate assistance including joint working with other stakeholders.
Where it is not possible to prevent someone becoming homeless, the team help with advice and in some situations with finding alternative accommodation, such as a private sector tenancy or a bed space in a local hostel subject to the criteria being met. The team are the main referral gateway to the borough’s 600+ supported hostel bed spaces.
They can be contacted on
Tel: 020 7364 7474
Email: host@towerhamlets.gov.uk.
Options & Prevention Young People
The HOST Young Persons Social Worker sees all homeless clients aged 16 and 17 years, including those who are pregnant, and will undertake Children’s Act social work assessments.
They can be contacted on;
0207 364 7474
host@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Assessments
The Assessments team is responsible for assessing homelessness applications. This is a statutory function to determine what duties the council owes to homeless applicants depending on their circumstances, including whether there is a legal obligation to provide accommodation to the applicant and their family.
They must carry out detailed investigations which can include, but are not limited to, Experian and Land Registry checks to verify address history; obtaining medical reports or reports from other professionals such as Social Workers or Probation and liaising with the UK Border Agency, if necessary.
They can be contacted on
Tel: 020 7364 7474
Email: homeless@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Housing Management team
The Housing Management team is responsible for managing temporary accommodation for homeless households. The temporary accommodation is divided into geographical patches each of which is allocated to a Housing Officer (HO). The HOs inspect properties to ensure they are of a satisfactory standard; manage clients’ rent accounts; take action if there is a breach of tenancy; respond to any changes in clients’ circumstances and provide advice to clients on their options for permanent housing.
For customers needing additional support we also have a Tenancy Sustainment team who can provide more intensive help with issues such as benefit claims, sorting out rent arrears, accessing other services and so on.
They can be contacted on;
Tel: 020 7364 7474
Email: homeless@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Temporary Accommodation Information
Income Recovery and Debit Control
The Income Recovery and Debit Control team is responsible for ensuring that the correct charges are levied for homeless households who occupy temporary accommodation, providing a complete debit control function and taking legal action to recover former tenant debts.
They can be contacted on
Tel: 020 7364 7474
Email: homeless@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Former Arrears Information
Accommodation Procurement team
The Accommodation Procurement team is responsible for ensuring sufficient suitable accommodation is procured and retained for our homeless and potentially homeless customers to meet their housing needs with the objective of preventing homelessness wherever possible.
They can be contacted on
Tel: 020 7364 7298
Email: accommodation.procurement@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Business Support team
The Business Support team provides IT systems support to the housing options service and leads on systems development and upgrades; the production of performance reports, newsletters and customer surveys; support as required to operational areas organising team, departmental, partner and/or public events.
They can be contacted on
Tel: 020 364 7262
Email: Business.support@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Lettings
Two teams who are responsible for maintaining the Housing Register in Tower Hamlets
1. Customer Services team
This team is responsible for checking eligibility and registering all applications to join Tower Hamlets Housing Register. This team also maintains and reviews the majority of existing applications, making changes where necessary, and providing advice and assistance to housing applicants through limited face to face contact, telephone, emails and correspondence.
2. Client support team
This team deals with applicants who may have difficulty assessing the Housing Register because of age, health problems or other extenuating circumstances. Each officer will deal with a caseload of applicants, helping them with all aspects of the Lettings process from form-filling to bidding for available homes.
The team also deals with care-leavers, former rough sleepers and people wishing to move to sheltered accommodation. An important part of this team’s work is arranging assessments for applicants needing to move because of ill health or disability through the Occupational Therapy team or the council’s Medical Advisor.
They can be contacted on
Tel: 020 7364 2826
Email: lettings@towerhamlets.gov.uk.
Housing information and advice
Obtaining Housing Help on behalf of your service user
London Borough of Tower Hamlets has a Housing Helpline for professionals working in the Borough.
If you work in the health and social services (including educational health and social services), or third sector agencies, and your work involves vulnerable, elderly or disabled people, there is now a dedicated resource to help you access housing information.
This email service will only accept enquiries from work emails of known agencies.
However, the information below may be enough to help you with your work. If not email the housing support service with your query: supportingpeople@towerhamlets.gov.uk.
Anti-social behaviour
To report anti-social behaviour or a crime that has already happened or to seek crime prevention advice please call the Police non-emergency 101 reporting line. Calls to 101 from landlines and mobiles cost 15 pence per call, no matter what time of day you call or how long your call lasts.
To discuss any issues about community safety contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team by visiting the Tower Hamlets Met policing page.
Alternatively you can send your complaint via email to antisocialbehaviour@towerhamlets.gov.uk also click on this link for further information Anti-social behaviour
Area housing offices
Area housing offices provide estate based housing management and mediation services. It is important they are made aware of any tenancy changes, including long stays in hospital. Contact your local housing office.
Benefits
The benefits section deals with benefit claims and offers general advice about claiming benefits, clothing grants, free school meals, housing benefits and council tax benefits. The service is provided on an area basis. Find out more information on benefits.
Environmental protection
To contact the following teams call 020 7364 5008.
Health and Housing Team
Deal with health and safety in private rented housing, including Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and HMO Licensing
There is also a pest control team and health and environment team (air pollution issues etc.) and North and South teams (noise and nuisance complaints).
Hate crime reporting
This service allows users to report hate crime in confidence to organisations other than the police.
- Hate crime 24 hour reporting line: 0800 138 0521
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Housing Options Occupational Therapy team (formally known as HILT)
Occupational Therapy assists homeless service users to achieve and maintain an optimum level of independence, and to sustain tenancies in a safe and accessible environment. They aim to prevent the revolving door of homelessness, support disabled and vulnerable homeless applicants, and assist with finding housing.
Occupational therapists carry out housing needs assessment, support needs and Specialist tenancy sustainment officers are also in post.
HILT can be contacted on 020 7364 7302.
Private housing improvement team
The private housing improvement team is able to help elderly, disabled or low-income homeowners apply for grants. These grants are for improving and repairing their home or carrying out adaptations to meet the needs of a disabled person.
For general enquiries call 020 7364 2531.
See more information about private housing improvement.
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Housing development team (Affordable Housing Team)
The Housing Development Team aims to develop partnership working with Registered Social Landlords, government agencies and private developers.
For other information on affordable housing contact 020 7364 2528.
Management of Council owned housing
Since July 2008, all the Council’s housing has been managed by Tower Hamlets Homes, which is an ALMO (arms length management organisation). Please view more information about Tower Hamlets Homes.
Local Housing Offices
Tower Hamlets Homes’ Local Housing Offices provide estate based housing management and mediation services. It is important that local housing offices are made aware of any tenancy changes, including long stays in hospital.
Rents
If a service user falls into rent arrears, it is better for us to be aware of it sooner than later so that we can find a way to help them manage their rent account better.
Advice on coping with rent enquiries
Repairs help centre
For all issues relating to council housing repairs, including emergency call-outs, the housing repairs call centre can be contacted on 0800 376 1637.
The Sylheti Help-Line is 0800 376 1638.
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How to contact us
Contact Tower Hamlets’ Supporting People admin officer on:
Tel: 020 7364 7021
Email: supportingpeople@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Tenancy support team
The tenancy support team provides a case-based, optional and flexible support service for council tenants.
For more information please contact your local housing office.
For all Housing Options self service advice please click here
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