Nasty neighbour
Question
My friend told me that the local authority has an obligation to rehouse a single person who is suffering from domestic violence. Can you tell me if this applies to single people who have been attacked by their next-door neighbour?
Answer
It's likely that the help from the local authority your friend is referring to is a homeless application.
Someone who is escaping violence or threats of violence from inside or outside the home can be classed as homeless. In order to be rehoused, they would also need to meet other criteria. There are a number of things that the council would check:
- Is the person eligible for help?
- Is the person homeless?
- Is the person in a priority need category?
- Has the person made themselves intentionally homeless?
- Does the person have a connection to the local authority area, e.g. have they lived or worked there? (If they don't have a connection but would be at risk if they returned to their own area, the council can't make them go back).
So, if this person is vulnerable as a result of the violence, or falls into another priority need category, the council should provide temporary accommodation whilst they carry out investigations. Depending on the circumstances, they may have to continue to provide temporary accommodation until somewhere permanent can be found from their waiting list.
If this person is already a local authority tenant, they could also try to apply for a transfer away from the property. This can take time, so may not be a suitable option in all cases.
If this person needs further help and advice, they may wish to contact a local advice service. Alternatively, they could contact Shelter's free housing advice helpline on 0808 800 4444.
Updated: 25/09/2008
Question answered by Shelter
