Specialist support if you’re homeless

Because of relationship breakdown

Understanding what housing rights you have when your relationship with your parents or partner breaks down can be complicated. 

If you can no longer live with them, you may need to get legal advice.

The property is in someone else's name

If you're married or in a civil partnership, you have a right to live in your home, even if it's in the other person's name.

If you're not married or in a civil partnership with your partner, you might not have any right to stay unless you're joint owner or tenant, or have a child together. This means your partner can tell you to leave if they own or rent that property.

What you should do

Get advice from a family law adviser about your property rights. There might be family law advisers at your citizens advice bureau Go to https://www.bristolcab.org.uk/ (opens new window).

You can contact a solicitor but you'll probably need to pay unless you're a victim of domestic abuse.  

Your partner's left and you can't afford the rent or mortgage

You should get help from a money advice organisation to see if your home is affordable for you. If your home isn't affordable you might need to find a cheaper place to live or check if you can get Discretionary Housing Payments.

If you can't find anywhere that's cheaper to live you can visit our Citizen Service Point to see how we could help and if you could get a Personal Housing Plan. 

Other organisations that might be able to help

Because of domestic abuse

Call 999 if a crime is happening now or you're in immediate danger.

If you need to leave your home now

If you're a victim of Hate crime, harassment or domestic abuse and need to leave home now, you can:

Bristol Hate Crime and Discrimination Service

Bristol Hate Crime and Discrimination Service Go to https://www.bhcds.org.uk/ (opens new window) can give you practical ideas, emotional support and legal advice. The service is free and confidential.

Call their 24 hour freephone number on: 0800 171 2272. 

Bristol Hate Crime and Discrimination Service includes organisations like:

If you're a council tenant

If you're a council tenant or the person responsible for the hate crime is a council tenant, you can Report hate crime or anti-social behaviour.

Make your home more secure

You can make your home safer to live in by target hardening'. This is when the police come to your home and make adjustments to try and make it safer.

It can include fitting:

  • window and door locks
  • door chains 
  • spy holes
  • fire proof letter boxes

Your landlord will need to agree to any work being done.

Contact the police if you're interested in target hardening. They'll be able to tell you if target hardening is right for you.

If you're having problems at home

If you're having arguments or you're not getting on with the people you live with, you should:

  • talk to someone you trust, such as friends, other members of your family, or a teacher at school or college
  • consider staying with a safe friend or family member for a few nights so that you and your family can have a bit of time away from each other
  • try to talk calmly with your family about the issues at home at a time when things are good, and consider writing “house rules” together about what each of you needs to reduce the conflict in the home.
  • contact our Youth MAPS service: they can help you to have these conversations with your parent or guardian through their free mediation service.
  • contact First Response on 0117 9036 444 if there are areas of your life that you feel you need support to get back on track.

If you're under 16

You can't move out and you can't legally be told or forced to move out if you're under 16. 

You can read more about your rights on Childline.

If you're 16 to 21

If you're 16 to 21 and you're homeless, or you've been told to leave your home, you should contact Bristol Youth MAPS  or call: 0117 332 7111

They'll talk to you about your situation and you can plan what to do next.

Youth MAPS includes social workers, housing advisors and youth specialist support workers. All of these professionals will try to support you and your family to resolve the situation at home, as long as it is safe to do so.

If it's not safe for you to return home, they will help you to find somewhere else to live.

Your situation may feel bad but if you leave your family home without being prepared, you may find yourself in a worse situation and find it difficult to carry on with your meeting your education, training, work, health or social needs.

If you're over 21

If you're over 21, worried about becoming homeless and have a support worker, you should contact them about your situation. 

If you don't have a support worker or anyone else to talk to, visit our Citizen Service Point and ask to speak to someone about your housing situation.

If you're pregnant or have a child and you have a support worker, speak to them about your situation. They may be able to help you to find solutions.  

If you don't have a support worker or need more support around housing, visit or call our Youth MAPS team if you are under 18, or visit our Citizen Service Point if you are 18 and over, and ask to speak to someone about your housing situation.

If you are under 18 and feel you or your child are in danger, call our First Response team on 0117 9036444 to get social work support.

Young people who've been in care

If you've been in care, you may get help finding somewhere to live.

The help you get will depend on your age, how long you were in care for and where you were in care.

Personal advisor

If you need help with your housing situation your Personal Adviser should be your first point of contact.

If you don’t know if you have a Personal Adviser or haven’t got their contact details and were in care in Bristol, contact us on our Care Leavers Freephone 0800 694 0168.

If you were in care in another Local Authority you will need to ask them for a Personal Advisor.

Your Personal Adviser will help you with:

  • filling in application forms for housing, benefits and education or training courses
  • life skills such as how to budget
  • completing a pathway plan to achieve the goals that matter to you

Your Personal Adviser will support and help you until your 25th birthday.

You must have a local connection to Bristol to apply for housing in this area.

All Bristol care leavers will have an automatic local connection to Bristol. If you were in care in another authority and don't have a local connection to Bristol, we'll refer your case to the local authority area where you do have a connection.

You have a local connection if:

  • you've been in foster care in Bristol for two years or more without breaks in between, and some or all of that time was before you were 16
  • you were in foster care outside Bristol but since leaving care you've been living in Bristol for two years or more without breaks in between

Visit Shelter England to find out more about local connections for care leavers.

If you are 18 to 21

If you're 18 to 21 and you spent at least one night in care when you were 16 or 17 you may be entitled to temporary accommodation.

If you're 21 or older

If you're 21 or older and you've been in care you may be entitled to accommodation from us. 

You'll need to have a priority need, for example you:

  • are vulnerable because you've been in care
  • haven't had a stable home since you left care
  • have slept on the streets in the past

Let us know if you're worried about being homeless and we'll do all we can to help you.

Advice and support for young people

If you feel you're in danger, call the police on 999.

If you are under 18, call 0117 903 6444 to speak with our Children's Social Care First Response Service.

If it's outside normal working hours (Monday to Friday), you can contact our Emergency Duty team at 01454 615165.

If you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, or if your parents ask you to leave home, contact Bristol Youth MAPS for advice and support.

Bristol Youth MAPS

Bristol Youth MAPS is a service for young people aged 16 to 21 who are affected by or at risk of homelessness.

They offer free support if you've been told to leave home, are at risk of becoming homeless, or are already homeless.

To learn more about how they can help you, visit Bristol Youth MAPS.

What you shouldn't do

Don't choose to become homeless because of an argument or because you want more independence.

Unless you're escaping danger, we may not be able to help if you make yourself homeless.

If you're under 18, you can't legally have your own tenancy.

What we will do

We'll work with you and your family to keep you safe at home until you can move toward independence in the right way and at the right time.

If you need a place to stay because it's not safe to remain with your family, you will usually stay in foster care or a shared hostel for young people.

Advice for parents, guardians and carers

Legal Responsibility

If you're a parent or guardian, you're legally responsible for your child's care and well-being until they turn 18.

Your child cannot have their own tenancy or live in their own home until they are 18 years old.

We try to keep families together in their homes whenever it is safe and possible because it is usually best for young people.

Who to contact for support

Being a parent of a teenager can be hard, and sometimes families need extra help.

If you want to talk to us, call the First Response team on: 0117 903 6444.

We can talk about the support available for you and your child, like:

  • Work
  • Education or training
  • Community activities
  • Substance use
  • Relationships

If your child is at risk of homelessness

If you or your child tells us they might not have a home, a social worker will look into what has caused the situation. The social worker's main job is to help your family so your child can stay at home, or leave in a safe way when the time is right.

Assessment for support

If your child is homeless or at risk of homelessness, the social worker will do an assessment to see how we can help prevent homelessness. If it can't be stopped, we'll find the right support to make sure your child is safe.

Note:

There is very limited Youth Accommodation in Bristol.

It can only be accessed if a social worker assesses the situation and makes a decision about homelessness.

What we expect from you

Since you're legally responsible for your child until they are 18, we expect you to:

Look after your child at home until the assessment is done, or until we find another place for them to live.

Or, you can come up with a plan for who in your family or friends can care for your child during this time, up to five weeks.

We are here to support you and your child through this process.

After leaving prison

If you won't have anywhere to live when you're released from prison you must speak to your prison's housing officer as soon as possible. 

If your sentence is for 12 or more months you'll probably be released on licence. This means you'll live in the community but you'll be supervised by the probation service until the end of your sentence.

If you're going to be released on licence, your probation officer will find you a place to stay, or they'll make a homelessness application to us on your behalf. In some situations, we may have a duty to provide you with accommodation when you're released.

You must have a local connection to Bristol

To qualify for help from us you must have a local connection to the area.

You have a local connection with Bristol if you've lived, worked, or have immediate family here. You don't necessarily have a local connection if you've just spent time in prison here.  

If you don't have a local connection, you can apply to any council in any area.

There may be a restriction on where you can live

You may need to ask for help from a different council if there are restrictions on you living in Bristol. This may be because you have an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) that says you can't go to a particular area.

If you're a high risk prisoner managed by a Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangement (MAPPA) Go to https://mappa.justice.gov.uk/connect.ti/MAPPA/groupHome (opens new window) you may have to live in certain areas.  

Help with money

The prison service will give you a discharge grant when you leave prison. This is money to help with your costs until your benefits are sorted out.

If you've got accommodation for your first night, you may be given an extra £50 to pay for it. The money will be paid directly to the landlord or person providing the accommodation.

You may be able to prepare for your release when you're in prison by:

  • saving some of your prison wages
  • opening a credit union account

Ask your prison for details.

Other services who can help you

Impact Pathways Bristol Go to https://www.impactpathways.org.uk/Accommodation/ (opens new window): information and advice for vulnerable and disadvantaged people involved with the criminal justice system.

Clinks website Go to https://www.clinks.org/directory (opens new window): directory of voluntary agencies that work with offenders and their families.

Shelter has a help if you're an ex-prisoner and homeless page Go to https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/homelessness/your_situation/ex-prisoners_get_help_if_youre_homeless (opens new window) you can read.  

Why it's important to have a fixed address

Having a fixed address will make it much easier for you to settle back into normal daily life if you've recently left prison.

Having a fixed address can help you:

  • get a job
  • register with a doctor
  • receive drug or alcohol treatment

Find a home with a private landlord

We can help you Find a home with a private landlord if you're homeless or threatened with homelessness. We can also talk to you about how to apply for benefits to help you with your housing costs. 

Apply for a council or housing association home

You can also apply for a council or housing association home on the Home Choice Bristol website Go to https://www.homechoicebristol.co.uk/ (opens new window).

After leaving hospital

If you think you're going to be homeless when you leave hospital, you must tell the hospital nursing staff as soon as possible. They'll ask their hospital discharge team to help you.

The hospital discharge team will make a homelessness application to us on your behalf. If you think this hasn't happened, talk to the nursing staff as soon as you can.

How we can help

If you have a connection to Bristol, the discharge team may refer you to the housing advice team at our Citizen Service Point (CSP). We'll assess your situation and may offer you a temporary accommodation while your application is assessed. 

If you have a home already but it needs to be adapted the hospital will refer you to the Accessible Homes Service.

Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI)

There's a Homelessness Support Team based at the BRI.

The team mainly helps people who are:

  • rough sleeping
  • sofa surfing

Visit the team on Level 7 of the BRI's discharge hub or call them on 0746 957 3725.

The team will let you know about support services that can help you. They'll also make a referral to us.

For ex-forces members

If you've left or are leaving the armed forces and you're homeless there are a number of agencies who can help you.

Ministry of Defence

If you think you may be homeless after you leave the armed forces, you should contact the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) housing advice service, the Joint Service Housing Advice Office (JSHAO) Go to https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/joint-service-housing-advice-office-jshao (opens new window).

They run a referral scheme which may help you to find a housing association home.

You can apply if you're:

The MOD runs the Veterans UK helpline Go to https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/veterans-uk (opens new window) which gives advice to veterans in a crisis.

Military charities

Veterans' Gateway Go to https://www.veteransgateway.org.uk/ (opens new window) is a group of military charities. They can give you advice about organisations that can help you.
 
You can also get help finding accommodation from:

These housing associations provide longer term housing for veterans:

How we can help

We can help you if you have a:

  • priority need
  • local connection to Bristol

You have a priority need

This might be because you have children living with you, you're pregnant, or you're vulnerable because of your time in the armed forces.

We'll look at:

  • how long you were in the forces 
  • the role or job you had
  • when you left the forces
  • if you spent any time in a military hospital
  • if you were released from service on medical grounds (and have a Medical History Release Form)
  • if you're disabled or seriously injured
  • if you have any kind of mental illness because of your time in the armed forces
  • if you've had anywhere to live since leaving the forces

You may need to provide medical evidence from the Ministry of Defence, including a Medical History Release Form if you were given one.

You have a local connection to Bristol

This can mean that you:

  • currently work in the area
  • have lived in the area for six out of the last 12 months, or 3 out of the last 5 years
  • live with a partner who currently works in the area

 Contact us

Call 0117 352 6800:

  • between 9am and 4pm: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
  • between 10am and 4pm: Wednesday

Email: HomelessnessAdvice@bristol.gov.uk  

Staying where you are

If you don't let us know in good time, and are currently in services family accommodation (SFO), you may need to stay where you're living as long as possible and wait until Ministry of Defence (MOD) Estates evict you.

MOD Estates have to give you a Notice to Vacate before they can take you to court to get a possession order. You can use any Notice to Vacate and any possession order against you as evidence to support your homelessness application.

Apply for a council or housing association home

You can also apply for a council or housing association home on the Home Choice Bristol website Go to https://www.homechoicebristol.co.uk/ (opens new window).

As someone who is homeless and ex-armed forces, you'll be put into Band 2 Go to https://www.homechoicebristol.co.uk/content/Bands/Bands (opens new window).

You may move up a band if:

  • you're suffering from a serious injury, illness or disability which was caused by your time in the forces
  • you've lost your accommodation provided by the MOD following the death of your spouse or civil partner whose death was caused by their time in the forces
  • you served in the army reserve and are suffering from a serious injury, illness or disability which was caused by your time in the reserves

We can also help you Find a home with a private landlord.

For asylum seekers and refugees

Gov.UK has a list of helplines you can call If you're an asylum seeker, or you've been refused asylum and you don't have anywhere to stay.

They'll give you advice on how to apply for asylum support Go to https://www.gov.uk/asylum-support (opens new window), which will include:

  • somewhere to live
  • cash support

If you're a young person, up to the age of 18

If you're a young person on your own and you're applying for asylum in the UK, you'll need to call the Children's Panel on 020 7346 1134. They're open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm.

If you're a refugee

Contact us if you're a refugee and you're:

We'll work with you to either help you stay in your current home or find you somewhere else to live.

Help with a deposit

Private landlords usually ask for a deposit and rent in advance before they'll offer you a tenancy. We can help you apply for a loan to cover the cost. Speak to a Housing Advisor at our Citizen Service Point about this.

Other organisations that may be able to help

Refugee integration loan

You can use integration loans to buy items that will help you integrate into the UK. They must be paid back, but they're interest-free. You can borrow between £100 and £1,000.

You can use the loan for things like:

  • housing deposits
  • work clothing and equipment
  • education and training

You can apply if you've been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection or are dependent upon someone who has.

Find out more about refugee integration loans on GOV.UK Go to https://www.gov.uk/refugee-integration-loan (opens new window)

Help to return to your home country

If you need help to return to your home country, contact the Home Office on 0208 196 5535. The helpline is open from 9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Tell us about a problem with a form, page or online account