Copeland Borough Council is committed to preventing homelessness
wherever possible and helping to deal with it when it does occur.
The information on this page is for guidance, if you are homeless
or threatened with homelessness you should seek immediate advice
from one of our Housing Options Advisers.
Telephone: 0845 0548600
0845 0531 327 (out of office hours)
Email: housing.options@copeland.gov.uk
Who is classed as being Homeless?
There are many different reasons why someone may be homeless.
Each case needs to be investigated fully.
As a general guide you are homeless, or threatened with
homelessness, if:
- you do not have accommodation, which you have a legal right to
occupy, for example, if you have received a court order requiring
you to leave,
or
- have been living with family who have asked you to leave,
or
- you have a home but are at risk of violence by living
there,
or
- you have a home but it is unreasonable for you to occupy it for
some reason.
Being threatened with homelessness generally means that you are
likely to become homeless within 28 days. Once we have assessed
your situation and established that you are homeless, we will need
to consider whether you are:
- eligible
- in priority need for housing
- intentionally homeless
- have a local connection
Am I entitled to assistance?
Having completed its enquiries, if the Council is satisfied that
you are homeless, have a priority need, are
unintentionally homeless and have a local
connection then it has a duty to secure temporary accommodation for
you.
This accommodation will be available until you receive a
permanent offer of accommodation from a Housing Association or
other accommodation in the private sector.
How do I know if I will be in priority need?
The Council will consider you as being in priority need if:
- you have dependent children living with you
- you or someone you live with is pregnant
- you have a serious medical condition, either physical or
mental, which makes you vulnerable
- you are homeless as a result of flood, fire or some other
disaster
- you are vulnerable for some other reason
- you are 16 or 17 years old or a care leaver aged 18,19 or
20
- you are vulnerable as a result of fleeing violence (or threats
of violence)
- you are vulnerable as a result of spending time in the armed
forces or having been remanded in custody.
If you are not in priority need, the Council still has a duty to
give you advice and assistance in finding somewhere to live or
keeping your home. You will be given advice on how to register on
the waiting list of the Housing Associations.
Am I intentionally homeless?
This means the Council thinks you chose to leave accommodation
that you could have stayed in, it was your fault you lost your
home, or you unreasonably failed to take up accommodation when it
was offered to you.
This would apply if:
- you chose to sell your home when there was no risk of losing
it
- you lose your home because of wilful and persistent refusal to
pay your rent or mortgage
- you have been evicted for anti-social behaviour.
What is a local connection?
The Council will accept you as having a local connection,
if:
- you live, or have lived in the area for some time
- you have a permanent job in the area
- you have a close relative that has lived in the area for some
time.
Note - Time spent in armed forces accommodation, college,
prison, hospital or temporary accommodation does not count as
residence in the area. If you do not have a local connection with
the Council you have applied to, they will discharge their duty to
house you to another council where you do have a connection.
All our officers who deal with homelessness are aware that this
is a very stressful time for you.
The Council must make enquiries into your application and
therefore you must be aware that we may ask you some questions that
you may find intrusive. Your application will however, be assessed
as sympathetically and as sensitively as possible.