One Minute Guide - Housing and Homelessness Service
Coventry City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Service has 4 core areas:
Homelessness Options Team
This team works with people who are threatened with homelessness or who are already homeless. The main aim of the service is to help people to continue to live where they are or if this is not possible, to support them to find another place to live. This will involve having a housing assessment to understand their current personal and financial circumstances in order to create their personal housing plan (PHP).
The team will need to see some documents such as, proof of identification and information relating to their current home. This team also respond to all ‘Duty to Refer’ referrals made to the service.
Accommodation Team
This team has 2 roles. The first role is to find people temporary accommodation for those people who are homeless (they have nowhere safe to stay) and have a priority need. The second role is to work with private sector landlords to provide affordable rental accommodation for people living in Coventry as an alternative to social housing.
Coventry Homefinder Team
This team manage the administration of the Housing Register (Coventry Homefinder). This is the system for allocating social housing in Coventry. The team monitors registrations, annual reviews and assesses priority banding applications.
The team also place bids for suitable properties on behalf of vulnerable people and those applicants who have been accepted as homeless (Main Duty). There is limited supply of available social housing in Coventry and the Council do not own council houses.
Rough Sleeping Outreach Team
This team predominately works alongside partner agencies in the community to support those people at risk of or sleeping outside (rough sleeping) and remove barriers which prevents them from having a home.
Commissioned services
These organisations receive funding from Housing and Homelessness Service to provide services to people who are eligible on behalf of the Housing and Homelessness Service.
- P3 – Housing support to families facing homelessness and those who are in temporary accommodation. Also Housing related floating support for older single people (25 years and over) who may or may not have complex needs
- St Basil’s – provide support for single people (18 to 24 years) includes care leavers 18+, without dependent children. This service will include the provision of direct access beds for those Young People with complex needs, those who are roofless and are in housing need. Floating support provided for singles and couples without dependent children (aged 18 to 24) including care leavers 18+
- The Salvation Army –Supported accommodation and specialist ex-offender supported accommodation and floating support
What are the responsibilities of the Housing and Homelessness service
Responsibilities
The responsibility of the Housing and Homelessness Service is to support people to obtain or keep their current housing before they become homeless subject eligibility under the relevant housing legislation.
For people seeking homelessness assistance out of hours they are initially supported via the Emergency Duty Team (EDT) who will help out-of-hours and then handover to Housing and Homelessness Service for a full housing assessment to be undertaken at the earliest opportunity.
How to refer
Public Authorities - Professional referral
If you are aware of an individual or family who is facing being homeless in the next 56 days (6 weeks) then you must complete a ‘Duty to Refer’ referral to the Housing and Homelessness Service.
Self-referral
People can tell us online by registering on our customer portal and completing a self-referral form. Once they have completed their referral, the Housing and Homelessness Service will contact them within 3 working days.
How you can help
- if you work for a public authority you must make a referral (Duty to Refer) to the service. If not, then ask the resident to make a self-referral
- help the person to seek support from their friends or other family members to provide a temporary place to stay
- look for accommodation in the Private Rented Sector, including shared accommodation (e.g. renting a room in a shared house)
- complete an application for Coventry Homefinder and help people bid for properties as they become available
- support people to understand their finances and how to prioritise essential household bills and where appropriate signpost to for debt advice (CAB or CIAS).
- manage expectations of the support that will be provided - the majority of housing available in the Coventry is within the Private Rented Sector
There is very limited social housing available especially those seeking family sized accommodation.
How to contact the Housing and Homelessness Service
Homelessness Advice
- Telephone: 024 7683 4025
- Email: homelessness@coventry.gov.uk
Accommodation Team
Coventry Homefinder Team
- Telephone: 024 7683 4024
- Email: coventryhomefinder@coventry.gov.uk
Rough Sleeping Outreach Team
You can tell us about a person sleeping rough through Street Link.
What to do if someone is homeless today
If a person is homeless tonight
If a person does not have anywhere to sleep tonight, please direct the person to report to contact via the emergency phone line, Monday to Friday, 9am to 3.30pm, Telephone Number 024 7683 4025. Outside these hours then please contact Emergency Duty Team on 024 7683 2222.
If a person may become homeless
Please don't wait until the person becomes homeless before asking for advice and help from the Housing and Homelessness Team. The earlier the team is made aware of the person, the more likely they'll be able to resolve the housing issues before they are made homeless.
All professionals, including Children Services staff, must complete the Duty to Refer form as soon as they are made aware that a family they are working with is at risk of homelessness.
Residents can now self-refer, via Homelessness Advice.