There are some things that you can do if you are in this situation:

Call Alone in London on 020 7278 4224 to find out what service near you will be able to offer support.

In some circumstances the council have a duty to house you, but those circumstances are limited to those who fall within certain categories and are being forced into homelessness, rather than choosing it. Ask for professional advice to find out if you fall within this category.

If you are unemployed or in education, go to the jobcentre and make sure you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to

The reality is there are very few bed spaces available in London through hostels, shared houses, foyers and housing associations. If private renting is an option for you, you should seriously consider it. Some landlords will now accept Housing Benefit and your local council should be able to provide you with a list of those that will. If it is safe to do so, it may be best to try to stay in your family home until you find somewhere safe to go and then make a planned move.

If you are in need of emergency accommodation you should call Shelter Housing Advice Helpline on Freephone 0808 800 444. They will be able to let you know what is available.

If you are under 16 years old you can call Childline on 0800 1111. Alternatively you could call a social worker by phoning Directory Enquiries on 118 700 and asking to be put through to a duty social worker in your local social services area.

If you are in suffering from domestic violence you can call the National Domestic Violence Helpline on Freephone 0808 2000247 which is open 24 hours per day. Alternatively you can call the Men's Advice Line on 020 8644 9914 which is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 9am to 10pm.

If you think you are entitled to council housing then here are some helpful tips when visiting your local Homeless Person's Unit:

Make sure that you have your:

identification

letter from Alone in London

Any other evidence you can provide to show you are homeless unintentionally

When you ARRIVE at the unit, go to the Receptionist and tell them you would like to make a homelessness application today.They MUST assess you THE SAME DAY. They are entitled to ask you to wait, but if you have nowhere to stay they must take you into a separate area and carry out a FULL ASSESSMENT.

They cannot just ask you questions over the reception counter; the assessment should be in a lot of detail and in a private place where other people cannot hear.

Once they have assessed you they must do one of the following things:

Decide that you ARE entitled to housing from them and find you somewhere to live THE SAME DAY so that you have somewhere to sleep that night; OR

Decide that you are NOT entitled to housing from them and this MUST be put in WRITING; OR

Inform you that they need more information and they cannot make a decision either way yet. If this is the case they MUST provide you with temporary accommodation THE SAME DAY to stay in whilst they are completing their investigations and reaching a decision.

You are entitled to request that these things are done as they are the law and the Homeless Person’s Unit have a duty to do them. As long as you have followed the steps above and you remain calm and polite, you have every right to be firm and insist that your rights are upheld.

If you have problems and believe that the Homeless Person’s Unit have not done the steps above or have reached an unfair decision, you can contact Alone in London again and your caseworker can ensure that you get more support.