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Get help

Emergency help

If you’re about to lose your home or are homeless, call Shelter’s emergency helpline at 0808 800 4444. Before you call, it’s a good idea to have your tenancy agreement ready (the contract for your home) or any letters or messages explaining your situation.

If you’re worried about someone sleeping on the street, alert local services on the StreetLink website.

Getting help from the council

If you’re legally homeless in England, your local council must help you.

You could be considered legally homeless if:

  • You have no place to live right now
  • It’s unsafe for you to stay in your home (for example, if there is domestic abuse or violence)
  • You’re at risk of losing your home in the next 8 weeks
  • You’re living in poor conditions, like an overcrowded house or somewhere unsafe

You should contact your local council immediately if any of these apply. The council is required to help and give you advice.

You can use this postcode tracker if you’re unsure which council to contact. Enter a postcode from an area where you have a local connection. This could be a place you’ve lived recently, where you have close family, or where you work.

You can use Shelter’s eligibility checklist to see what support the council should offer you.

If you need more help, contact Shelter. They have advice on legal issues, practical support, and help for homeless young people.

Single Homeless Project services

Most of our services are only open to referrals from local councils. You can use this postcode tracker to find out how to contact your council for homeless support.

If you live in Redbridge, Westminster, or Islington, we have community-based services (not hostels) open to self-referrals.

To use these services, you must:

  • Live in your own home (either social housing or privately rented accommodation)
  • Be single and not have children living with you
  • Be at risk of homelessness
  • Need ongoing support to maintain independence

Our community services can help you stay in your home. We offer advice and support for:

  • Claiming benefits
  • Dealing with rent arrears (when you’re behind on rent payments)
  • Attending hospital appointments
  • Accessing education, training, and finding employment

Our Camden, Islington, and Haringey Recovery, Aftercare & ETE Service is also open for self-referral. It is for those aged 18 and over who are in recovery from substance use.

The service offers individual support, helping people take control of their lives and take the next step in their recovery.

Our advice bank

We have in-depth articles on the following in our Homelessness Explained section:

If there’s an emergency, always call 999 for help.

You never have to deal with homelessness alone – there’s help available.