Housing options is an approach to preventing homelessness that considers all of the options open to people that may help them to avoid housing crisis.
For many, this may mean advice and support to stay in their current home. For others, this may mean looking at ways to support them accessing other forms of housing, apart from social housing. For others again, it may not be possible to prevent crisis and a homelessness application is the best option for them.
The purpose of Housing Options is to consider the individual circumstances of each household and work with them to identify what best meets their needs.
Housing Options advice can also cover personal circumstances which may not necessarily be housing related, such as debt advice, mediation and mental health issues. Rather than only accepting a homelessness application, local authority Homelessness Services will work together with Housing Associations and other services such as employability, mental health, money advice and family mediation services etc to assist the individual with issues from an early stage in the hope of avoiding a housing crisis.
The following are examples of Housing Options (click the links for more information about each):
- Social Housing
- Mutual Exchanges/Transfers
- Private Rented Housing
- Mid-Market Rental properties
- Shared Equity/Ownership
- Specialist Housing
- Money Advice including Welfare Rights and Debt Advice
- Adaptations
There a number of Charities and Third Sector Organisations who can also offer advice and information, some of which are listed below along with links to their webistes.
(Please be aware that GHR is not responsible for external web content)