What is homelessness?

Are you homeless?

You don't have to be sleeping on the streets to be classed as homeless. You might also be entitled to help as a homeless person if you are:

• temporarily staying with friends or family
• staying in a hostel or bed and breakfast
• living in very overcrowded conditions
• at risk of violence or abuse in your home
• living in poor conditions that affect your health
• living somewhere that you have no legal right to stay in (e.g. a squat)
• living somewhere that you can't afford to pay for without depriving yourself of basic essentials
• forced to live apart from your family or someone you would normally live with because your accommodation isn't suitable

If you are homeless now or threatened with homelessness, it is important that you see a Housing Options Officer who will be able to assess whether North Norfolk District Council has a duty to secure accommodation for you. The Council has a legal obligation to find you somewhere to live if you:

• are eligible for assistance, and
• are homelessness or threatened with homelessness, and
• are in priority need, and
• not intentionally homeless, and
• have a local connection to the North Norfolk area

If the Council does not have a legal duty to find you somewhere to live, you will still be given advice and assistance to help you secure accommodation. So, whether you are homeless now, threatened with homelessness in the near future or just require advice, we are here to help.