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Housing assistance
At risk of homelessness or need housing

If you are homeless today
Call our homeless team on: 020 8937 2000 (option 2) Normal working hours are Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm. Outside of these hours, call: 020 8937 1234. When you call, tell them what your situation is and why it’s urgent.

At risk of homelessness or need housing

Overview

You don’t have to be rough sleeping to be homeless. There are a number of different situations that could mean you are considered homeless or threatened with homelessness.

It may be because you:

  • have come to the end of your contract and your landlord has asked you to leave
  • have fallen into rent arrears and your landlord has given you an eviction notice
  • are staying with friends or 'sofa surfing' and they have asked you to leave
  • are at risk of violence or abuse where you are living.
  • are street homeless or rough sleeping
  • can't afford to stay where you are
  • have been locked out of your properly or you have been illegally evicted
  • live somewhere that is in a very poor condition
  • are experiencing problems in a relationship with your partner or close family and you cannot continue to live there
  • have nowhere to put your houseboat or caravan.

Help with landlord harassment

If your landlord is harassing you, refuses to carry out essential repairs, or is trying to evict you unlawfully then there is help available.

The London Borough of Brent Tenancy Relation Service (BTRS) can provide support and advice if your landlord is:

  • intimidating you
  • threatening to cut off your electric and gas supply
  • going inside your house without your permission
  • threatening to evict you without a court order and/or changing the locks of your property.

The BTRS is provided by Hodge Jones and Allen (HJA) Solicitors. You can contact HJA directly to ask for help:

Make sure you mention BTRS when you contact them.

You can also contact our Housing Options Service on 020 8937 2000 (choose option 1). We can:

  • talk to them on your behalf
  • offer support to prevent you from becoming homeless
  • carry out a full health and safety assessment
  • take action against them
  • find you somewhere else to live
  • help you with financial support

Who qualifies for housing

Not everyone qualifies for housing. Our resources and funds are limited, so we only offer accommodation to those who need it most. Visit the Shelter website to find out who qualifies for housing.

If you are at risk of becoming homeless, we can work with you to try and prevent your homelessness and resolve any housing issues you may have. We can:

  • offer advice on finding a home
  • try to prevent or delay you becoming homeless
  • explain your rights
  • offer advice on your tenancy

If we have a legal duty to offer accommodation, we will offer private rented or temporary accommodation.

If you’ve no rights to public funds such as benefits, we may not be able to provide you with housing but we can offer housing advice.

If you have no priority need for housing then we have no legal duty to provide you with accommodation.

Apply for housing assistance

If you face the threat of homelessness in the next few weeks then complete our online housing needs assessment to receive further advice and information about the options available to you.

You will need to register or sign in to My Account to complete a housing assistance application. Once you have signed in, select ‘Applications for Housing Assistance’ from the list.

Apply for Housing Assistance

Before you start

Ensure you have read the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

You will need to have a few details to hand, including evidence of your current situation, address, right to live in the UK, employment status and any medical issues.

Access a previous application

If you have already applied for housing assistance via our website before, then make sure you use the same email address that you used previously when you created your new account. Once you are in My Account you can view your past applications. 

Find a place you can afford

How to find a place you can afford

You can also check:

  • Local lettings agencies
  • Private landlords
  • Local newspapers
  • Shop windows, community notice boards, supermarket boards.

House or flat shares

If you are searching for accommodation as a single person, a more affordable option is to search for rooms to rent.

Rooms in house shares can be found on websites such as:

If you can't find a place you can afford in Brent

Be more flexible in your choice of area – widen your search to outside of the borough, and outside of London.

When you find a place you can afford

Email your housing officer when you have found a place you can afford.

We will then: 

  • Check that the property is affordable for you long-term
  • Financially help you to secure the rental home
  • Talk with the landlord on your behalf
  • Ensure that the property is safe and suitable for your needs.