Advice and Homelessness Officer

If you can't find somewhere to live and you need more advice and help, you must first visit us at the Guildhall. We will first try to keep you in the place you are currently living and may be able to:

• help you solve any problems with your landlord or the person you live with by mediating between you so you can stay in your home.
• advise you on your rights of occupation.
• give you debt and benefit advice.
• advise you on finding somewhere else to live.

We can often help straight away by offering advice over the telephone, or can arrange for you to see an adviser who will talk to you about your housing needs in private. To make an appointment or for more information, contact:

Advice and Homelessness Officer
PO Box 270
Guildhall
London, EC2P 2EJ

0207 332 1804
Email: Homelessness Team.

Opening hours

• Monday 9.30am - 4pm
• Tuesday 2pm - 5pm
• Wednesday 9.30am - 4pm
• Thursday 9.30am - 4pm
• Friday 9.30am - 4pm

If you wish to be seen in person, we strongly advise that you arrange an appointment.

Out of hours emergency contact

If you have an emergency outside normal office hours, please call 0208 552 9587. You will be assisted over the phone and may be placed in temporary accommodation for the night or over the weekend. You will then be seen for a full assessment by the Advice and Homelessness Officer on the next working day.

The Shelter helpline is also available for certain periods outside normal office hours. They can be contacted on 0808 800 4444. The Shelter website also has a comprehensive range of information and advice.

New Leaf - homeless prevention

This project delivers homeless prevention advice and support to tenants in the private rented sector. This is run by the East London Housing Partnership and the aim is to help people to stay in their own homes wherever possible. Help is provided at an early stage when there is still the potential to stop a private tenant losing their home. New Leaf is available for tenants with a connection to a local authority in east London.

Rent deposit scheme

The City of London rent deposit scheme can help people with the cost of moving into the private rented sector. You will need to find your own affordable property, giving you freedom of choice over the location and type of accommodation. The scheme is open to homeless, low-income households with a local connection to the City of London.

You may also be eligible for other private renting schemes in the area which you live. Crisis have a database of schemes of in each area.

Credit union

If you are not homeless or a low-income household, then you may wish to contact a Credit Union about getting help to finance a rent deposit yourself. London Capital Credit Union can provide low-cost loans for a rent deposit, which you can use for a property of your choice.

New Routes

This project is run by the East London Housing Partnership to help single people and couples access housing when it was not possible to prevent them becoming homeless. The project will provide access to a rent deposit and help with finding accommodation for people with a connection to a local authority in east London.

YMCA

If you are single and under 25 then we can support a referral to City YMCA. They have supported accommodation to give young people opportunity to learn the necessary skills they need to move on in a planned way to independent living.

Sanctuary scheme

The City of London Sanctuary Scheme aims to help families and individuals affected by domestic abuse by providing additional protection and safety in their own homes. It provides households affected by domestic abuse with the option of safer housing and is in partnership with the City of London Police.

No First Night Out - help for single homeless people

This is a tri-borough project, working across the City of London and the London Boroughs of Hackney and Tower Hamlets. A new approach is being piloted to prevent individuals from rough sleeping for the first time in the area where they have a local connection. Speak to the Advice and Homelessness Officer to find out if you are eligible.

Housing register

Applicants who have a connection to the City of London may apply to the housing register. Tenants of other social housing providers (e.g. another local authority of housing association) are eligible to apply to the City of London as long as they meet the local connection criteria.

Key worker housing

'Key workers' with a connection to the City of London can access self-contained properties to rent in the Peabody managed scheme at Nile Street. Applicants must be eligible for the housing register and once accepted will be nominated to Peabody for available vacancies. (You are a keyworker if you work for the City of London, City of London Police, St Bart's Hospital, The Barbican Centre or are a teacher working within the Square Mile).

Housing for older people

The City of London has access to a number of housing schemes for older people. All applicants are initially assessed by the Housing Needs team, who then make the referral to the sheltered housing scheme. Contact the Housing Needs team for further information.

The Almshouse Association maintains a national database of almshouse vacancies throughout the United Kingdom. You can search the database for schemes that you may be eligible for.

Housing moves

Housing Moves is the Mayor of London's housing mobility scheme that allows tenants of London boroughs or housing associations to move outside their existing borough to a different part of London. It is run by the Greater London Authority and the majority of London boroughs and housing associations are participating.

Homeswapper

Homeswapper is the UK's largest community of social housing tenants looking to swap homes. You will be able to access information about tenants from other local authorities and housing associations who want to exchange properties, as well as details of those wishing to move here form outside the area.

Pan-London reciprocal agreement

The Pan-London Housing Reciprocal Agreement is a voluntary collaboration between local authorities and registered housing providers in London. The purpose is to prevent homelessness in cases of domestic abuse, violence against women and girls (VAWG), hate crimes, where people are at risk of harms from gangs or youth violence or other high risk reasons. People must have an existing social tenancy and be at risk in their borough, so in need of a reciprocal move.

East London Women's Project

The East London Women's Project (ELWP) is a shared supported accommodation scheme for single women with multiple needs who are survivors of domestic violence or other gender based violence. ELWP is available to women with a connection to one of the local authorities in east London.