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Homelessness
This leaflet explains some steps, which you can take if you are homeless or about to become homeless and sets out some of the obligations owed to you by the local authority.
Seeking Advice & Assistance
This leaflet is intended to give general guidance only and is not to be treated as giving specific advice in respect of particular cases.
If you would like advice from Coventry Law Centre we offer a telephone advice service on Wednesday and Friday mornings between 10:00am and 12noon. Please call 76253167 and your call will be answered by a specialist housing advisor.
Coventry Law Centre
The Bridge
Broadgate
Coventry CV1 1NG
Tel: 024 76223053
Applications to be housed under the homelessness provisions
What you must do
If you are homeless or about to become so and do not have available suitable accommodation then you should apply to the local authority's Housing Department. Coventry's Homelessness and Allocations Unit is currently located at Spire House, New Union Street, Coventry. You should attend those offices and make it clear that you are applying to be housed as a homeless person.
Do the Council have to make arrangements for you to be housed?
This depends upon your precise situation. If you are genuinely homeless or threatened with homelessness and are in priority need and have not made yourself intentionally homeless and do not have a local connection with another area, which is stronger than your connection with Coventry, then Coventry City Council should make arrangements for you to be housed.
What is meant by priority need?
Not everyone who is homeless is in priority need according to the legislation. Those who would be in priority need include persons with young children and persons who are vulnerable perhaps because of age or health difficulties.
What is meant by intentional homelessness?
You might be regarded as intentionally homeless if you made some act or omission, which led to your homelessness. This might include not paying rent on a previous property when you were in a position to do so or abandoning a previous property without justification.
Council decisions
The Council must issue a written decision if they are refusing to house you under the homelessness provision. That decision must explain to you why it is that your application has been refused.
Challenging the decision
You have a right to request a review of the decision within 21 days. If a review does not succeed then within a further 21 days you can make an application to your local County Court.
You should note that if you are challenging a homelessness decision, you ought to obtain specialist legal advice.
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7622 3053