Councils’ Housing Authorities must take reasonable steps to secure accommodation for any eligible homeless person. * no this is wrong I think This is called the Relief duty. *mixing it up with the homelessness function itself AFTER the Relief duty, I think. The council is required to take reasonable steps to help the applicant secure suitable accommodation with a reasonable prospect that it will be available for their occupation for at least six months.
After the relief duty has ended, a council must then secure interim accommodation for applicants and their household if it has reason to believe they may be homeless, eligible for assistance and have a priority need.
From the complaints reports we can see the LGO give weight to the fact that, especially after discharge from hospital, careful consideration should be given to applicants with a mental illness or learning disability who may have a particular need to remain in a specific area, for example to maintain links with health service professionals and/or a reliance on existing informal support networks and community links.
Where a local authority feels that an applicant is refusing to cooperate and that the refusal is ‘deliberate and unreasonable’, it can follow a specific procedure for notifying the applicant. Councils can be seen to wrongly cancel interim housing, due to missed or cancelled appointments. Reports highlight that Councils need to do more than verbally warn a person before ending their duty, they need to clearly tell someone in writing the consequence of not attending appointments.
| Name of Council | Title of Report | Number |
| Newcastle-Under-Lyme | Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council | 18 016 156 |
| Wigan Metropolitan | Wigan Metropolitan Council found not at fault in supporting housing needs | 18 006 686 |
| Essex | Essex County Council at fault for requiring a deposit payment of 12 weeks of top up fees | 19 020 100 |
| Hertfordshire | Hertfordshire County Council found at fault for delegating responsibilities to Foundation Trust and ultimately for allowing it to fail to ensure sufficient assessment and discharge planning | 17 013 954 |
| Medway | Medway Council delay in providing an assessment of needs, care and support, and a carer’s assessment | 22 002 267 |