Homeless or at risk?
If you are homeless or at risk of losing your home, the council has a duty under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 to look into your situation and find out how we may possibly be able to help you.
Please contact Caerphilly Housing Options Team on 01443 873552 for information on housing and the options available to you.
If you are threatened with homelessness within the next 56 days we will work with you to take all reasonable steps to prevent homelessness from happening, either by working with you to keep your existing home or by finding alternative accommodation.
If you are already homeless we will take all reasonable steps to find you alternative accommodation, helping for up to 56 days after you have become homeless. This is known as the homelessness relief duty.
You will be expected to work with your caseworker to agree reasonable steps that may include:
- an offer of suitable accommodation with a private landlord
- an offer of suitable accommodation with support
- assistance to secure accommodation you have found yourself
- an offer of suitable social housing
If you are still homeless after 56 days
If we have not been able to house you and you have done everything you were asked to do, we will determine if we have a duty to continue to assist you.
If you have refused a suitable offer of accommodation, including within the private sector, or have not followed the list of agreed actions you may not be entitled to further help.
If you have followed the agreed actions and have not been successful in finding suitable housing, we will try to find out if you are in one of the priority need groups, and if your homelessness was as a result of something you have done or failed to do.
At the end of the 56 days, if we are satisfied you are in one of the priority need groups and are not homeless intentionally; we will continue to help you find a new home.
If you have nowhere to stay
If we believe you may be eligible, homeless and have an apparent priority need and we cannot provide you with a solution in the short or medium term, we try to provide temporary accommodation.
If you have nowhere safe to stay we will do all we can to find you somewhere to stay on a temporary basis while you work with us to find a solution
If temporary accommodation is provided you may be asked to leave if:
- you breach the terms of your agreement
- you have refused an offer of suitable accommodation, including private rented accommodation
- we decide you have made yourself intentionally homeless
- you have not done everything your caseworker has asked you to do
- you have suitable accommodation available to you
Test of intentionality
We have elected to apply the test of intentionality to all groups listed within Section 70 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.
These groups are:
- A pregnant woman
- A person with whom a dependent child resides
- A person who is vulnerable as a result of old age, physical or mental illness or disability etc
- A person who is homeless as a result of an emergency, e.g. flood, fire or other disaster
- A person who is homeless as a result of domestic abuse
- A person aged 16 or 17
- A person aged between 18 and 21 who is deemed to be at risk of sexual or financial exploitation
- A person aged 18 and 21 who was looked after, accommodated or fostered by a local authority while under the age of 18
- A person who has served in the armed forces and is homeless following release from the armed forces
- A person who has a local connection with the local authority who is vulnerable as a result of being in custody and is homeless upon release from custody.
Applying for social housing
We now operate a 'Common Housing Register' whereby you can apply for social housing with the council and other social housing landlords in the Caerphilly county borough with a single online application.
If you would like to apply for social housing you will need to complete our online housing application form. Visit our Apply for housing section for details.
Night shelters
Caerphilly Churches Night Shelters provides a warm meal and a friendly welcome as well as providing emergency accommodation to keep people off the street during the winter months. The Night Shelter is anticipated to open in December 2018. Visit our rough sleepers section for details.