On this page:
Support for day-to-day activities
If you're unable to return to your home because you cannot manage day-to-day activities, you should talk to the hospital discharge team. They will contact Camden social services and they may arrange for:
- short term support to help with personal care, cooking and household chores
- a short stay in a supported flat while you recover
Find out more about support for day-to-day activities.
How to contact us
You should tell hospital staff if you do not have a home to return to.
The hospital discharge team will contact the housing needs service. You need to have a local connection to Camden for us to be able to help. This includes if you:
- have lived in Camden for at least 6 out of the last 12 months or 3 out of the last 5 years.
- work in Camden which could include being self-employed, in part time or unpaid work.
- have parents, adult children or brothers and sisters that have lived in Camden for at least 5 years.
You can also refer yourself by completing the homeless application form. This takes about 10 minutes.
Help with your application
If you cannot go online, are vulnerable or have a disability you should contact us.
What happens next
After completing the form, an advisor will contact you within 10 working days. They will assess your situation and ask you to provide documents such as a:
- passport or Home Office documents
- Section 21 notice or other information about why you are homeless
- medical assessment or medication information
- recent payslip or benefit payment
Don't worry if you can’t find your documents straight away. It's more important that you have contacted us to help you end your homelessness.
Eligible for housing assistance
If you have recourse to public funds and are homeless or threatened with homelessness within 56 days, you are eligible for housing assistance.
An advisor will work with you to agree a personal housing plan. This will include the steps that Camden and you will take to end your homelessness.
If we have reason to believe you are in priority need, we may provide emergency accommodation. Let us know if you have a pet. Most emergency accommodation will not take pets and you should think about asking friends or family if they can help.
Emergency accommodation could include shared facilities and be:
- a hostel or hotel
- outside Camden
We will provide this while we work with you to find longer-term housing. View the Homelessness Accommodation Policy.
Longer-term housing
We can support you to find longer-term housing. This will probably be a private rented property. Our support includes:
- funding to cover the first month’s rent and deposit
- support to negotiate with landlords to achieve an affordable rent and advice and guidance around what’s affordable
- employment support
- tenant rights and responsibility guidance
Rent in Camden is very expensive. Where possible we will support you to find property options in or as near to Camden as we can. Our priority is to make sure that you can keep your tenancy in a property that meets your housing needs.
If you will struggle to manage a tenancy, we will work with you to achieve this. We can also support you to access supported accommodation if appropriate.
Not eligible for housing assistance
If you have no recourse to public funds this means that you are not eligible for most benefits or housing assistance. If this is the case, we will write to tell you about services that may be able to support you.