Renewal of the Preventing Homelessness Strategy – a new strategy will be adopted in early 2025.
Given that the current Preventing Homelessness Strategy has reached its review date, it is essential to affirm our ongoing commitment to preventing homelessness within the community. As we enter this new phase, the current strategy will be rolled over until early 2025 with a continued focus on the key priorities outlined in the original plan, while ensuring alignment with emerging challenges and opportunities.
Key points of focus for the rollover will include:
Review and Adjustment: While the core objectives remain valid, the strategy will be reviewed for any necessary adjustments based on the most recent data and evolving circumstances in housing, social services, and public policy.
Sustained Collaboration: Continued partnership with local organizations, housing authorities, and community groups will be vital to ensure effective implementation and to build upon the successful interventions already in place.
Monitoring and Reporting: We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that we track progress effectively and adapt quickly to any unforeseen challenges.
Community Engagement: Engaging with those affected by homelessness and those at risk will continue to be a cornerstone of our approach, ensuring that the strategy remains relevant and impactful.
By rolling over the Preventing Homelessness Strategy until the full review is complete, we aim to provide stability, build on past successes, and ensure that we continue to make meaningful progress in preventing homelessness across the community.
There are lots of services to help you to stay in your current home, including help with tenancy issues or relationship breakdowns.
If staying in your current home isn't an option, we can help you look for a new home or other alternatives.
We also offer services to help if you're experiencing domestic abuse.
Who has priority for housing when at risk of homelessness
We assess the vulnerability of people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. By law, the following people have a priority need for housing:
someone who is pregnant, or who lives with a woman who is pregnant
someone with dependent children living with them, or if not currently living with them who it would be reasonable to expect to live with them
someone who is homeless because of an emergency such as a fire or a flood
someone who is vulnerable because of old age, illness, mental illness or disability or physical disability or any other special reason Someone who is vulnerable because of an institutional background in council care, the armed forces or in custody
someone who is vulnerable because they are homeless due to violence
These priorities guide our assessment of who receives help with their housing situation.
If you do not have a local connection with the Forest of Dean District but do have a connection with another authority, we will normally make a referral to that authority to provide housing, unless you would be at risk of domestic or other violence in that area. You will have a local connection if you:
are normally resident in the district
work here
have immediate family in the District who have lived here for at least five years
have any other particularly strong reasons that give you a connection with the area
Emergency accommodation
We can only assess your application for help if you are eligible for assistance. For example, if you are not entitled to welfare benefits because of your immigration status, we can only provide advice on your situation.
We will consider if:
there is anywhere that you are legally entitled to occupy
you can you gain entry to it if you have somewhere
your home is a caravan, houseboat or other mobile form of housing, is there anywhere you are entitled to park it and live in it
you would be at risk of domestic or other violence if you continued to occupy the home
there is any other strong reason why it would not be reasonable for you to continue to occupy the home
You are not intentionally homeless if the housing you left was not reasonable to occupy, or you were at risk of violence in the home. You are also not intentionally homeless if you acted in good faith while unaware of a relevant fact.
If your homelessness has resulted from your behaviour, we only have to provide you with temporary accommodation for a short period depending on your circumstances.
Out of hours assistance
If accommodation is needed in an emergency outside of office hours please:
or calling our Housing Advice Team on 01594 810000
Duty to Refer the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and Homelessness (Review Procedure etc.) Regulations 2018 have introduced a legal duty on specified public authorities to refer service users that may be homeless or threatened with homelessness to a local housing authority in England. This is in force from the 1 October 2018.
If you are a public authority specified within the legislation, or any other organisation wishing to make a referral to Forest of Dean District Council Ask us for Help with Homelessness .
The six Gloucestershire housing authorities are developing a county-wide procedure to support the duty. When making referrals, partners are expected to consult and follow this procedure and the principles of the local agreement within it. This will help realise the true potential of the duty for the people of Gloucestershire.
If you are unhappy with the decision that has been made on your homeless application or with the suitability of housing that has been offered, you have a right to seek a review of our decision.
You must request your review within 21 days of being notified of our decision. You have a right to seek help with your case for a review from an advice centre or solicitor.
Where you have been offered housing and wish to seek a review of the suitability, you have a right to both accept the offer and request a review.
