On this page:
- Young person under 18
- Camden care leaver
- Asked to leave by family and friends
- Student
- How to contact us
- What happens next
If you're worried about becoming homeless, you need to tell us as soon as possible. Do not wait until you're homeless. Our priority is to help you to stay in your current home if it's safe to do so.
Young person under 18
If you cannot live at home, the Children’s Safeguarding and Social Work (CSSW) team will carry out an assessment to see what support you need. Their priority is to make sure you have somewhere safe to live.
The team will work with you and your family to try to sort out any issues so you can remain living at home. They may also see if someone in your extended family is able to offer you a home.
If this is not possible, and CSSW believe you are vulnerable and need to be looked after by Camden to remain safe, we can offer accommodation in our Young People’s Housing Pathway. You will need to agree to become 'looked after' for this to happen.
If you need to speak to a social worker and make a referral, call the MASH team on 020 7974 3317.
Camden Care leaver aged 18 to 25
If you want to move on from the Young People's Pathway to your own tenancy, your Personal Advisor will work with you and the Pathways Move-on team. They will help you to understand your options and the next steps to take.
Asked to leave by family and friends
If you live with friends and family and are being asked to leave, you should contact us as soon as possible. You may only have the right to reasonable notice to leave which could be 28 days or less.
We will arrange for an advisor to work with you and your family or friends to find a solution. In most cases disagreements can be sorted by talking them through. If not, then we may get agreement that you have more time in the property to prepare for a planned move.
Student
If you're a student at risk of homelessness you should talk to your university welfare service. They will tell you if you're entitled to money through the student hardship fund. You are unlikely to qualify for benefits help towards your rent costs.
Shelter has information about private rented housing for students and claiming benefits to help with rent.
Worried about money or debt
Check if you can increase your income by applying for:
How to contact us
If you're over 18 and think you have care and support needs due to illness or disability, please contact Adult Social Care on 020 7974 6866, option 1.
If you do not have care and support needs and are homeless or at risk of being homeless, complete the homeless application form. This takes about 10 minutes.
Help with your application
If you need help to complete this form online, you could ask a relative, friend or neighbour. If you cannot go online, are vulnerable or have a disability you should contact us.
Rough sleeping
If you're rough sleeping, Routes off the Streets can provide support. This includes access to drug and alcohol treatment and mental health services.
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
Do not worry if you cannot find your documents straight away. It's more important that you have contacted us.
Eligible for housing assistance
If you have recourse to public funds and are homeless or threatened with homelessness within 56 days, you're 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're 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. If you are under 35, you may only be able to afford to rent a room in a shared house. Shelter has guidance on the Local Housing Allowance if you are under 35. 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'll 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. We can also:
- mediate between you and your family to try to stop you becoming homeless
- help you to claim benefits you may be entitled to if you are a private tenant and in rent arrears
- refer you to supported accommodation if you are a single person with substance abuse
- help you to explore all your housing options.
Independent organisations that offer emergency accommodation to young people include: