How can I get a place in a hostel? What is a hostel? Hostels usually provide beds for homeless people with medium to high support needs, such as people with addictions, or mental health problems. Therefore if you do not have medium to high support needs, you may well find it extremely difficult to get a place in a hostel. In recent years the number of direct access hostels (hostels where you can turn up in person and get a bed for the night) has rapidly decreased, as hostels increasingly have to cater for people with higher levels of support needs. This means that unless you have medium to high support needs, and are referred to the hostel by a particular agency, such as street outreach teams, or the housing department of the local council, you will probably not be able to get a place in a hostel. How can I get a place in a hostel? If you think a hostel is suitable for you, you can use the Find help directory on this site to find out about ones that can meet your needs. You can only access a handful of these services directly - for almost all of them you will need to ask for a referral from your local council housing department or other agency. Each entry on the Find Help directory specifies what referral you will need to get in order to access that hostel or accommodation service. What if a hostel isn’t suitable? If you do not have medium to high support needs, you may find that another type of accommodation is more suitable for you. If you do not meet the council’s criteria for offering you accommodation (for example if you are not considered in priority need), then you will need to find somewhere to stay yourself. Options include: ◦Staying with family or friends ◦Looking on the internet, such as on gumtree or spareroom.co.uk ◦Looking at adverts for rooms to rent in local shop windows Getting help first Before you make any decisions, it’s a good idea to get some advice about your specific situation. People can become homeless or at risk of homelessness for many reasons, and it may be that a specialist advisor can help you with your situation. You can find advisors at your local Citizens Advice Bureau (citizensadvice.org.uk), or you can speak to a specialist housing advisor at Shelter on 0808 800 444 (shelter.org.uk). An advisor can help you with your situation, and also consider other areas where you may be able to get additional help, such as if there are any benefits you can claim.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Aug 2013 06:16:09 +0000
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