Homelessness

​How we can help if you are facing homelessness

You don't have to be sleeping on the streets or not have a roof over your head to be considered homeless. Most people who are legally homeless are not on the streets. It’s important that you contact us as soon as possible if you are homeless or are worried about your housing situation and are facing homelessness within 56 days.

• call our Housing Teams on 0300 126 7000 or, in an emergency, visit our offices in Northampton, Daventry or Towcester. We are available 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. The earlier in the day you contact us, the more time we will have to help you
• Please note that if you are 16/17 years old and either homeless or facing homelessness then we will work to the 16/17 year old joint protocol. This protocol sets out the roles and responsibilities of Children's Social Care, Housing and partner agencies. The primary objective of the protocol is to promote and safeguard the well-being of the young person and to prevent homelessness; returning young people to their family wherever possible

• if you have nowhere to stay tonight and need help after 5pm, please call our out of hours service on 0300 126 7000
• if you have concerns, outside of our opening hours, that someone who is under 18 has nowhere safe to stay tonight, please contact the Police on 999
• if you or someone you know are at risk of domestic abuse or feel unsafe at home, please see our domestic abuse advice page
• we also have monthly drop-in services at Brackley and Hunsbury Libraries.

Although it’s not essential you have this with you, we will be able to help you more quickly if you have available relevant paperwork, such as:

• any paperwork relating to your housing problem, such as your Tenancy agreement or any Notice from your landlord
• information about your income or any benefits you receive
• valid ID (such as a driving licence or passport)

Contact us online

If you are worried about your housing situation or are facing homelessness, you can register online for help and advice. You will need your email address and will be asked to set up a password to register before providing details of your circumstances. A member of our Housing Team will then contact you to discuss your circumstances further.

If you are concerned about someone who has nowhere to sleep tonight

Members of the public concerned about someone who maybe sleeping rough can report this via Street Link. This is a national service that informs local authorities about people sleeping rough in their area and helps to connect people to local services and support.

In the Northampton area, our Street Outreach Team work in partnership with several charities and agencies, which enables support to be accessed quickly and robustly. The team also run drop-in advice surgeries at Oasis House on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 11:30am-1:30pm. The Street Outreach Team can also be emailed at: [email protected]

Public authorities now have a duty to refer to us people engaged with their services who may be homeless or at risk of homelessness, where they have consent to do so. We encourage all our partner agencies to use the referral portal on our duty to refer page.

Last updated 17 January 2024