Housing advice for young people
I’m at risk of being homeless
If you are at risk of becoming homeless, phone the Single Point of Advice (SPOA). They can put you in touch with a social worker from Children’s Services.
- Telephone: 01323 464222
They are open Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm and Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm.
What you tell us will be confidential. We will only pass it on if we think you are at risk or in danger.
Emergency help
If you can’t go home and it’s the weekend or at night, the best thing to do is find a friend or relative you can stay with.
In an emergency, you can contact the East Sussex Emergency Duty Service on:
- Telephone: 01273 335 905
A social worker will phone you back and advise you what to do.
Working things out with your parents
Once you’ve contacted Children’s Services, we will always try to help you work things out with your parents. This is called mediation. It is often very helpful when things have got a bit out of hand at home.
Living with other members of your family
If you’re not able to return home, we may try bringing together other members of your family. This is to see if we can arrange a safe place for you to live with family.
If you can’t return home or live with a family member
If you can’t return home or live with family, you may find yourself with a choice to make. Children’s Services may have decided that you can become what we call ‘looked after’ or ‘in care’. However, if you don’t want to be looked after, there is still a lot of help and support you can get from us.
What if I choose to be looked after?
If you choose to be looked after, you will get a social worker who will help and support you. Together with your social worker, you will agree a ‘Pathway plan’.
This means you will agree what help and support you need. This will include:
- identifying somewhere to live
- support with other areas of your life, like your mental health or education
- help accessing other support services like the Substance Misuse Team
Will I get benefits?
You will not get benefits if you choose to become ‘looked after’ unless you are :
- a young parent
- a young person with a disability or ill health.
Children’s Services will provide you with enough money to meet your needs.
You will not be entitled to Housing Benefit until you are 18, even if you are:
- a lone parent
- a young person with a disability or ill health.
If you are earning, you may have to contribute towards your rent.
Where will I live if I choose to be looked after?
It depends on what your needs are, but we will find you a place to live:
- with a foster carer
- with a supported lodgings provider
- in supported accommodation
- in semi-independent accommodation (in exceptional circumstances)
What if I choose not to be looked after?
If you choose not to be looked after, you will get a different type of support, but you will still get support. As a child in need, you will be allocated a social worker. They will work with you to assess your current situation and support needs to agree a support plan.
This means you will both agree what support and help you need. It will include:
- somewhere to live
- help applying for benefits
- help accessing other services like the Substance Misuse Team
Where will I live if I choose not to be looked after?
We will find you a place to live based on an assessment of your needs. This could be:
- with a supported lodgings provider
- in supported accommodation
- in semi-independent accommodation (in exceptional circumstances)
I’m 18 or over and I’ve got nowhere to live – where can I go for help?
If you are 18 or over and are at risk of homelessness, you should contact the housing team of your local district or borough council. They can give you advice and help you to find somewhere to live. Contact them Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm.
To find your nearest office, go to:
The Housing Options Team can also refer you to BHT Sussex for housing support.
For more information, please visit the website of:
Housing support for disabled or vulnerable adults
Find out about supported housing for working age adults with a physical or learning disability, mental health problems or a condition that makes them vulnerable and temporary accommodation with on site support if you
- are at risk of/fleeing domestic abuse
- have experienced/are experiencing mental health issues
- are a young person who is pregnant or has a dependent child
- are aged over 18, single, homeless or at risk of homelessness, and require support to develop your tenancy sustainment skills
Sheltered housing schemes run by local district or borough councils or a housing association support adults with disabilities.
Moving out of home is a big step. It is expensive and may take you a while to find somewhere.
Renting
If you rent a room, flat, or house, you will pay rent to a private landlord or estate agent. This is usually a month in advance. You can find details of properties to rent at:
- Local estate agents
- Local newspapers
Also on the following websites:
-
- Rightmove
- Friday–Ad
- Find a place to live
- Zoopla
- Rightmove
- PrimeLocation
- OnTheMarket
Can I get financial support to cover my rent?
If you have been living in supported housing and claiming housing benefit previously, you can claim benefits to cover the rent of a room in a shared house or flat until you are 35.
You cannot claim housing benefit to cover the cost of a one bedroom rented flat unless:
-
- you are a care leaver age up to 25 years old
- you are living as a couple
- you are severely disabled
- you are responsible for a child
If you have not claimed housing benefit previously, you can make a claim for Universal Credit. This can include a housing payment to help with housing costs.
Use the following links to check your eligibility for Universal Credit, or to access support with making a claim:
- Citizens Advice Help to Claim Service
- UK - Universal Credit Eligibility
- advicelocal - Find an advisor
The amount of housing benefit or assistance with housing costs you are entitled to is different in each local authority area. It is determined by Local Housing Allowance rates. You can use the link to find out how much Housing Benefit or assistance with housing costs you will get in your area:
Social rented or Local Authority housing
Social housing, often referred to as ‘council’ housing, is housing that is affordable to people on low incomes. It is provided by councils and not-for-profit organisations such as housing associations.
The waiting time for social housing varies across East Sussex. It will also depend on your eligibility and situation (you will be put in band A, B, C or D according to your housing need) and the length of time you have been registered. Realistically, you could wait a long time for social housing. It is in high demand. For example, the average waiting time for someone in Band C waiting for a one-bedroom flat in Hastings is 16 months. For accurate waiting times and to register for social housing:
Buying a flat or house
If you are thinking about buying a property, you will need to discuss your options and how you will meet the repayments on any mortgage with your bank, financial adviser or estate agent.
Having your own space with no parents to tell you what to do may sound like great fun, but the reality can be very different. Here are some things to think about before you make the decision to leave home.
How much will it cost?
Living on your own is very expensive. Some of the costs of living on your own include:
- rent
- food and drink
- gas, water and electricity
- council tax
- TV licence
- broadband and phone line
- toiletries and cleaning products
Will you still be able to afford to go out or buy new clothes if you have all these things to pay for?
You may need to buy furniture if this is the first time you have lived on your own.
If you are planning on moving into your own flat or house, you will also need to provide a deposit and the first month’s rent up front. Have you saved up for this? It is also likely that you will be required to provide a ‘guarantor.' This is someone who agrees to pay your rent if you don’t. Do you have someone who would be willing to agree to do this?
Looking after yourself
Living on your own also means looking after yourself. Can you shop for food and cook? Can you wash and iron your clothes and do the washing up?
Before you leave, stop and ask yourself: ‘Would I be able to look after myself if I lived on my own?’
How will I know when it’s the right time to leave?
It’s not a good idea to leave on the spur of the moment or in the heat of an argument.
The best time to leave home is always when you are ready, have made plans and have support from your friends/family to move back if it goes wrong.
Think carefully about where you want to live and if you have any specific needs like living on the ground floor or near a bus route. Moving out is a huge decision to make.
I’m under 16 and I want to leave home – where can I go for help?
If you are experiencing difficulties at home or arguing with your family, it can be a frightening time. This can become much worse if you are worried that you will have to leave and face the risk of becoming homeless.
Whatever your situation is, you can get help from the Children’s Services team at East Sussex County Council.
If you are at risk of becoming homeless, phone the Single Point of Advice (SPOA). Tell them that you are under 16 and at risk of becoming homeless. They will put you in touch with a social worker from Children’s Services who will be able to help you.
- Telephone: 01323 464222
What you tell us will be confidential. We will only pass it on if we think you are in danger.
I’m already homeless – what can I do?
It’s not too late to see someone for help. Contact SPOA using the details above and they will give you support and advice.
What help can I expect?
The help you get will depend on your personal situation. Your parents or carers have responsibility for you, so most of the time we will try to help you return home. We will do this by using ‘mediation’. This is where we try and help sort out problems that you have with your parents or carers. We also help make sure that the same problems don’t come back again.
What if I can not resolve the problems with my family?
If we can’t help sort out the problems with your family, or if you are at risk of violence if you do go home, the social worker will carry out an assessment and look at other options. These may include:
- living with a foster family on a temporary or longer term basis
- having a ‘family group conference.' This brings together parents, extended family and significant others. It aims to find a solution to stop you becoming homeless.