Emergency housing changes

From 26 August 2024, we’re changing how we support people in emergency housing, and making their responsibilities clearer.

From 26 August 2024, we’re changing how we support people in emergency housing, and making their responsibilities clearer.
We want people to have a place to call home – emergency housing should always be a last resort.
We’re doing everything we can to help people keep their current home or find suitable alternative accommodation, so they don’t need emergency housing, and support those currently in emergency housing into suitable, sustainable homes.
As part of a wider programme of work, we’ve received funding to continue our support services, including housing brokers, navigators, and Ready to Rent courses. We’ve also expanded how we can help people stay in their home or get a new place by making Housing Support Products available to more people in a wider range of situations.
Emergency housing eligibility changes from 26 August
We’re introducing clearer responsibilities for emergency housing assistance. This will support our focus on getting people into suitable and sustainable housing. This includes:
•providing information about their housing situation, if needed, to help ourdecision making
•responsibilities they must agree to and meet from night 8 to keepqualifying for Emergency Housing Grants.
Meeting responsibilities through agreed activities
If people need to stay in emergency housing for longer than 7 nights, they’ll need to complete agreed activities to help meet their responsibilities and improve their housing situation.
Activities are things which will help people to get a home, for example meeting with a housing broker, attending a Ready to Rent course, budget advisors, or looking for a private rental.
They will be agreed between a person and their case manager, tailored to their circumstances and achievable. They’ll get a letter listing their agreed activities, and who to contact if they need help. We know it is important the client understands their activities and what is expected of them.
At each re-grant appointment we’ll check they’ve done the activities they agreed to, and talk with them about any support which may be available. This is an important part of helping to set people up for housing success.
If someone doesn’t meet their responsibilities
If a person doesn’t meet their responsibilities (e.g., complete their activities or pay their contribution), without a good reason, they’ll receive a warning.
After two warnings, if they don’t meet their responsibilities again, they will have a 13-week non-entitlement period. This means they won’t be able to get an Emergency Housing Grant for 13 weeks (except in limited circumstances). They will also lose their Social Housing priority (fast track) status if they have one.
People may still qualify for other assistance during this time – like help with costs to stay with family and friends or to move to a new place.
However, we don’t want people to get to this point. We’ll do all we can to work with people to support them towards independence.
Go to the Work and Income website for more information. The other emergency housing pages on our website will be updated 26 August.
New Welfare Programme
Emergency Housing Grants are currently part of the Special Needs Grants (SNG) programme. From 26 August 2024, they will move to a new Welfare Programme, the Emergency Housing Grants Programme.

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