If you find yourself with nowhere to stay we can offer you advice to prevent you from losing your home or to find a place to live. In some cases we will arrange accommodation for you.

Find out further information about Your Housing Options (PDF 791Kb).

We have a Housing Options Team available to discuss your housing situation with you. The team can be contacted at your local council offices.

A Housing Options Officer will ask you questions about your housing situation such as your household details, present address, income, health needs and involvement with any other agencies.

It will be helpful if you bring any documents with you that are relevant to your current housing circumstances. This will enable an assessment to be made of the options that could be available to you.

Sometimes the Housing Options officer will undertake a visit to your home to complete the assessment.

Here are some of the options we will discuss with you:

• Mediation. If you are currently living with parents or family and have been asked to leave it may be possible to talk with your family to extend your stay while you look for your own accommodation.
• Floating tenancy support. If you are in danger of losing your tenancy because you have fallen behind with the rent or are not complying with another condition of your tenancy we can arrange for you to be given help to manage your tenancy better which may avoid you losing your home.
• Benefits advice and debt counselling. We work with the Citizens Advice Bureau who can provide money and benefits advice if you cannot afford your rent or mortgage payments.
• Prevention fund. We have a limited amount of money that can be used to help you find somewhere to stay. For example, we could pay your train fare to enable you to go and stay with a friend or relative.
• Sanctuary scheme. If you are a victim of domestic violence we can arrange for the security of your home to be increased to protect you from a violent partner. Additional security can include stronger door locks, window locks, alarms and secure rooms within your home.
• Supported accommodation. There are a number of supported housing schemes in the area. We can help you to obtain a place there. An assessment will be made of your specific support needs and you will be given help to become more independent. We have arrangements with our supported housing providers where people move on to a more permanent home.
• Housing Register. We will help you to complete an application to the council’s Housing Register if you have not already done so. If you are already registered on the list you may be entitled to additional priority as a result of your changed circumstances. The council is implementing a Choice Based Letting system which will be available in all areas by the end of this year.
• Private rented housing. If you are already a private tenant but could lose your home because of a tenancy problem we may be able to negotiate with the landlord to extend your tenancy or help you to defend possession proceedings being taken by your landlord. We can also find privately rented homes for people who have nowhere to live. This can happen in a number of ways. For example, we have a rent deposit scheme and will pay deposits to landlords. We also work with an organisation called CLASP (Chester Lodgings and Support Providers) who support people in private rented accommodation. 
• Homelessness assessment. In accordance with the homelessness legislation, where the Housing Options Officer has reason to believe that you are homeless or threatened with homelessness, a full homelessness assessment will be made. This will establish whether you are in priority need, are intentionally homeless and have a local connection. Where required, emergency accommodation will be provided. This is usually a room in a hostel or bed and breakfast accommodation. Throughout this process we will continue to consider all the options summarised above. Find out further information by reading the Homelessness leaflet (PDF 892Kb). 
• Mortgage Rescue Scheme. If you are having difficulties paying your mortgage, you may be eligible for the council's new mortgage rescue scheme. Find out further information about the Mortgage Rescue Scheme (PDF 1,432Kb).