Homelessness support and advice

If you are homeless advice is available from our housing advice team.

If you are threatened with homelessness or about to become homeless, don’t delay! We will do everything we can to prevent you becoming homeless in the first place or help you find housing which meets your needs. Get advice now before there is a crisis.

Ask for help with homelessness

Out of hours assistance

If accommodation is needed in an emergency outside of office hours please:

Please call our mainline number 01285 623000

Legally homeless

We must help if you’re legally homeless, but how much depends on your eligibility, your level of need and if your homelessness is your fault. We are guided by the law that instructs us who is legally homeless.

Help to meet your housing needs

If we can't offer you a home because you are not legally homeless, we may still be able to help with your housing problem. One of our housing advisors can go through all the housing options open to you.

Rough sleepers

If you are concerned about someone who may be sleeping rough please contact StreetLink via their website.

All concerns raised through StreetLink will be passed to P3 Charity, which provides the Gloucestershire Assertive Outreach Team on behalf of all six Local Authorities in Gloucestershire.

Extreme cold weather increases the risk of death and serious illness for those who are sleeping outside on the streets.

During periods of extreme cold weather we operate a severe weather emergency protocol whereby if the temperature drops below zero we can provide emergency shelter and a bed during the cold weather period.

For more advice on homelessness please contact our housing advice team on 01285 623000.

Duty to Refer - Homelessness Reduction Act 2017

Advice to Public Authorities:

The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and Homelessness (Review Procedure etc.) Regulations 2018 have introduced a new legal duty on specified public authorities to refer service users that may be homeless or threatened with homelessness to a local housing authority in England. This is in force from the 1st October 2018.

If you are a public authority specified within the legislation, or any other organisation wishing to make a referral to Cotswolds District Council, please follow the Ask us for Help with Homelessness link.

The six Gloucestershire housing authorities are developing a county-wide procedure to support the new duty. When making referrals, partners are expected to consult and follow this procedure and the principles of the local agreement within it. This will help realise the true potential of the new duty for the people of Gloucestershire.

Full details or the procedure will be available here shortly. In the meantime if you have any queries or problems completing a referral, please email dutytorefer@cotswold.gov.uk.