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Prevention and advice
These pages are about good practice in the prevention of homelessness and housing/homelessness advice, particularly in the voluntary sector. Good advice and advocacy can play a major part in preventing homeless people and ensuring that homeless people get the housing and other services they need.
Preventing Homelessness
See our briefing on homelessness prevention in the voluntary sector.
Prevention Resources
- The National Institute for Mental Health in England has produced a briefing on Improving the effectiveness of rent arrears management for people with mental health problems.
- The DCLG has published a research summary of an evaluation of homelessness prevention in 10 local authorities. It has also published a Good Practice Guide on prevention, with a summary published as a Policy Briefing.
Advice Services
Under section 179(1) of the Housing Act 1996 part VII, as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002, housing authorities have a duty to ensure that advice and information about homelessness and prevention of homelessness are available free of charge to anyone in their district. Many authorities contract voluntary sector agencies to provide this service.
Many Homeless Link members run advice services, either as their primary function or as secondary services.
Advice Resources
- National charities Citizens Advice and Shelter have launched a revamped National Homelessness Advice Service (NHAS). The new NHAS will be a comprehensive national support service on homelessness prevention advice for Citizens Advice Bureaux and other advice agencies in England, accessed through a national helpline.
- Shelter has a nationwide network of housing advice centres. Shelter advice services directory
Read the latest about advice services on the Homeless Link website.