Preventing you from becoming homeless
If you are at risk of becoming homeless, you’ve come to the right place. The help and support we can provide will depend on your circumstances.
We've put together a housing journey map that shows the process we go through to work out how best to support your housing needs.
Download the housing journey map (437KB pdf) or view a text version of the housing journey.
What to expect from the homelessness process
Step 1: Are you eligible?
When you speak to our team, we will need to establish if you are eligible for help and are homeless or at risk of homelessness. That may include a section 21 eviction notice or a letter confirming your circumstances.
If you are already homeless and do not have a connection to Hammersmith and Fulham, we may refer your application to another council where you do have a connection.
Alternatively, you can contact your local borough directly for advice and assistance with your housing situation.
If you are ineligible for support from the council then your options may be limited to searching for accommodation in the private rented sector, please see our page on find a home for more information - Finding a home.
Step 2: Getting an assessment and creating your Personal Housing Plan
Once we have confirmed your eligibility and circumstances, our team will take your details and a housing adviser will contact you to discuss your needs.
If you are currently homeless you'll be contacted by our duty team that day.
If you are at risk of homelessness soon, one of our housing advisers will contact you within 5 working days.
Together, we will then create your own Personal Housing Plan to help address your housing problems. The most likely option will be a home in the private rented sector. We can help in finding somewhere that meets your budget.
What is a Personal Housing Plan?
A Personal Housing Plan, or PHP, is a set of actions that you and the council will take together to solve your homeless situation.
An initial Personal Housing Plan interview will be arranged at a convenient time for you and will be done over the phone. We’d suggest that you keep up to 90 minutes free to complete this.
If you don’t follow the reasonable steps set out within your Personal Housing Plan, it will restrict the assistance we can provide you with.
Step 3: Working on your plan
Over the following few weeks, you will be responsible for updating your plan and taking action. We will review the plan regularly.
You will need to make sure you complete the ‘reasonable steps’ agreed in your plan.
If you don’t, we may not be able to help you.
Step 4: Decision after 56 days
If we are unable to solve your homelessness by the end of 56 days, we will then make a decision about whether we owe you the “Main Housing Duty”. For this, you need to be able to prove you pass five tests.
1. Eligibility
This means you have the legal right to access public funds, and to work in the UK.
Read more on the legal definition of ‘eligibility’.
2. Homeless
This means you don’t have a home, anywhere else in the world, where it would be reasonable for you to live.
Read more on the legal definition of ‘homeless’.
3. Priority need
This could mean because of a vulnerability, such as a health condition, or previously being a member of the armed forces, it is harder for you to find accommodation than someone else.
It could mean because you have young children, you have a priority. It could also mean, because you have lost your previous home through a disaster, such as a fire or flood, then the council needs to provide you with housing.
Read more on the legal definition of ‘priority need’.
4. Not intentionally homeless
If you have previously lost accommodation because of something you haven’t done (for example not pay your rent), or because of something you have done (such as antisocial behaviour), then we may find you intentionally homeless. If we do, we don’t have to provide you with housing.
Read more on the legal definition of ‘intentionally homeless’.
5. Local connection
You need to prove that you have a local connection to the borough, such as living here for the last 6 months, or for 3 years out of the last 5.
Read more on the legal definition of ‘local connection’.