in this section
Thinking about moving out?'A Place of Your Own' will also give you information for when you have got somewhere to live.
THINKING ABOUT MOVING OUT?
Most people will someday move out of their family home. Some people don't have any choice how or when this happens. However if you are able to plan your move things will be much easier. Living on your on can be hard especially if you are under 18. Start thinking about living independently early on if you can, and look into the costs and responsibilities while you are still supported by family, friends or an advice worker. You can also find out what support is available, for example tenancy support. See here for more information about tenancy support.
If you are living with parents but not getting along, you might be able to get help sorting things out between you and them. Ask someone that both you and your parents trust (like a relative or support worker) to sit down with you and try and reach a compromise on the things you disagree on.
You cannot legally live alone under the age of 16. See here for more information.
WHERE TO GO FOR HELP
Speak to a worker at Castlegate, who can talk to you about your options, and what to do next. They can also help you apply for housing or talk to you about renting somewhere. You can also use the phone for example to ring landlords.
The Customer Advice Centre can offer you advice and information to plan your housing options, and if you are homeless, they may have a duty to find you emergency accommodation - depending on your age and circumstances. They may also be able to negotiate with family or friends to help you stay where you are. However they should only do this if it is safe for you to stay, and should still investigate your situation. See below 'If you are being told to leave' and 'Emergency accommodation'. For Contact Details see our A-Z
If you are homeless this section will also tell you where to go for practical help - emergency accommodation, food etc.
See also 'Problems with where you live'.
IF YOU ARE BEING TOLD TO LEAVE
See also 'If you have to leave home' and 'A
Place to stay'.
If things are getting difficult at home, get information and support as soon as possible, for example to look at your options or apply for supported accommodation or independent accommodation.
If you are being asked to leave where you are living get advice as soon as possible. Something may be done to stop it happening, or to give you more time to plan what you are going to do.
If your landlord is telling you to leave or doing something that makes it difficult to stay, e.g. threatening or harassing you, get help immediately from Castlegate, HARP, CAB or the Customer Advice Centre. also 'Problems with where you live.' For Contact Details see our A-Z
The Housing Options Team and the Young Person's Accommodation Workers (who work with 16/17 year olds) are all based at Customer Advice Centre and can help explain your options, and intervene on your behalf if possible. They may also have some funds to help you find accommodation or to keep you at home. For Contact Details see our A-Z
York Mediation Service is a free and confidential service that can work with you and your parents to try and resolve your differences. Contact them direct or ask a support worker (e.g. at Castlegate) to refer you. If you go to Customer Advice Centre because you are being kicked out they may also offer to refer you.
You may get referred to a support worker (or you can ask to be referred) at one of the homeless prevention schemes in York. This will be to help sort things out so that you can stay where you are, or look at your other options with you. They are run by Scarcroft Project (for 16-19 year olds), York Housing Association (16+) and Foundation (16-25's). For Contact Details see our A-Z
If you are 16/17 and you and your family are having difficulty living together, Crash Pad (run by York Nightstop) may be able to help. They offer short term accommodation as a breathing space, and support and mediation, to try and improve the situation so that returning home is possible. If not, they will look at other options with you. You'll need to be referred by e.g. Customer Advice Centre.
If you are homeless and from outside York
If you aren't from York or don't have a local connection such as work, family, etc. (get advice if you are not sure) it is likely that you will be assisted to return to your area (though no one will make you go back). This doesn't mean that no organisations in York will help you, though you are unlikely to get permanent accommodation with the Council or a local housing association. Make sure you ask for help and information, especially if you're in any kind of emergency, such as fleeing violence, as there are some circumstances in which you don't need a local connection.
If the local authority have a duty to help you they must investigate your situation, make a decision on your case, and make a proper referral to your area before they assist you back there (but you can appeal this decision - get advice). They may have a duty to accommodate you until this is all completed.
If it is not safe for you to go back to where you are from, tell your adviser or the person you see at Customer Advice Centre. The Council cannot send you back if it isn't safe. The Council may then have a duty to house you in York.
IF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE HOME
• Try to take all important papers with you i.e. birth certificate, passport, National Insurance card/number, driving licence, bank book, medical card, address book, benefit papers etc.
• Pack only essential clothes and toiletries - you may have to carry your stuff around. Take your mobile phone and charger, and any medication you take. You can get the rest of your stuff later if you can't take it all now.
• Save as much money as you can in advance.
• If you can, set off early in the day and preferably early in the week. A lot of the places that can help you are only open in office hours, and not at weekends.
Unless you have a job that you are still able to go to, you'll need to make a claim for benefits as soon as possible. Sorting out benefits as well as a place to stay can be stressful and take a long time. If you are making a new claim, it may take a while before you get any money; apply for a Crisis Loan while you're waiting. For more information about crisis loans see here.
If you are already claiming benefits, you will need to let Jobcentre Plus know about your new circumstances and new address if you have one. Otherwise, you can arrange to pick up your giro in person. You can still claim benefits if you are homeless.
If you want to let someone know you are safe without phoning them yourself, phone Message Home or the Runaway Helpline (for under 18's) who will pass the message on for you without saying where you are. They can also refer you to other agencies. For Contact Details see our A-Z
If you have just been kicked out, you'll need somewhere safe to stay the night. You'll need to find somewhere for at least a few days, to give yourself time to sort things out. Try asking your friends or relatives first. They probably won't mind putting you up, as long as you make it clear it's only for a short while. The Council may have to offer you emergency accommodation. See here for more information. If neither of these is possible then you may be able to use:
York Nightstop offers young people 16-25 safe and secure accommodation for one night at a time in the homes of trained volunteers. You will also be offered an evening meal, a chance to freshen up, and breakfast. You will need to be referred by another organisation - e.g. Castlegate, a Connexions PA, CAB, Peasholme Resettlement Centre, Salvation Army or Customer Advice Centre.
LOOKING FOR SOMEWHERE TO LIVE
The three main options covered here are supported housing schemes; Council and Housing Association property and private rented accommodation. If you have been kicked out, see 'Where to go for help' and 'Emergency accommodation'
For the following places you will need to be referred, and they all have waiting lists. Ask your support worker or social worker if you have one, or call in at Castlegate. They all offer accommodation and support, and help to move on into permanent accommodation when you are ready. For Contact Details see our A-Z
Safe and Sound Homes (SASH) offers young people 16-25 supported accommodation, as a lodger in the home of a trained provider, from one month up to two years.
Scarcroft Project - offers accommodation to16-18 year olds who are homeless or facing homelessness and in need of support. They have shared flats for 9 young people and 2 self contained houses.
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Southlands Road Hostel is for young people 16-17 (though they can also take people 18-21) and offers 24hr support. It is run by Foundation Housing.
Scarcroft and Southlands together have 12 move on flats for people who are ready to move out of either place.
Peasholme Resettlement Centre offers supported accommodation for up to a year to men and women 16+ (and couples without children). They have 22 beds - some in shared rooms.
Peasholme Shared Housing Scheme offers supported housing for up to 2 years, to women and men aged 18+ who have been homeless. They have 20 bedsits.
Arc Light offers direct access supported accommodation for up to 12 months for people aged 18+ who are at risk of sleeping rough. (16 and 17 year olds by referral only). The purpose built facility has 35 bedrooms and training areas including workshop, IT suite and kitchen to develop lifeskills alongside resettlement planning and support.
Renting from the Council or a Housing Association
The Council and certain Housing Associations keep a joint Housing Register, and there is one form to fill in for both. For application forms ring Housing Registrations or ask at the Customer Advice Centre. For Contact Details see our A-Z
Your place on the waiting list and how long you wait will depend on your circumstances, your housing situation and the area choices you give. You will need an address to apply from, but this may be the main one of several places that you stay regularly.
If you are under 18 you cannot normally go on the register. However if you are homeless or threatened with homelessness you may be accepted on the list but you will also need a financial guarantor and support package (ask for advice and see here). You will need to see a case worker or a homeless prevention worker at Customer Advice Centre first. Otherwise if you are 16/17 your application will be kept on hold, and when you turn 18 it will be made 'live' on the list from when you first applied.
You must let them know about any changes in your circumstances as it can affect your application; especially if you change address. You should also tell them if:
• you are being harassed or threatened where you live or are being asked to leave
• the place where you live is making you ill, or affecting your mental health - eg due to damp, dust or overcrowding
• you become pregnant
• there are medical conditions or other special circumstances affecting you such as a disability
When your application has been made 'live' on the list you can also 'bid' for homes through the Council's 'Choice Based Lettings' scheme. Each week some empty homes are advertised. A property is offered to the person bidding who was been longest on the list - whatever priority band they are in. Adverts are in the Customer Advice Centre, City Finance Centre and Acomb Office; also at york.gov.uk and in Thursdays 'Press' property supplement.
Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust and Ryedale Housing Association are not part of the joint housing register (see here) and you will need to contact them direct for application forms. You can apply to go on their lists at 16, but you may need a financial guarantor until you are 18 (see here). JRHT takes nominations direct and from the Council. Their application forms are also available online. For Contact Details see our A-Z
Renting from a Private Landlord
See also 'A Place of Your own' which has information about bonds, bills and benefits, and who to go to if you have problems with where you live.
In York, accommodation is in high demand and therefore usually expensive, and standards will vary. Lodging with someone (where you live with your landlord or share living space) can be more 'friendly', though as a lodger you have fewer rights than as a tenant.
If you rent a self contained flat/house, or room in a shared house (not in the same property as your landlord), you have more rights as a tenant, though if sharing you'll have little say over who you live with.
Rented accommodation is often furnished. You will usually have to pay a bond (you get it back when you leave if nothing is damaged or missing) and rent in advance. (See here). If you cannot afford what they ask, try negotiating with what you have. It's probably better to do this face to face where they can meet you rather than on the phone.
The Citizens Advice Bureau have a Bond Guarantee Scheme (BGS). They can help people who are on benefits or a low income to get private rented accommodation by guaranteeing the bond to the landlord, and/or paying rent in advance to secure it. You will need to be referred by e.g. Castlegate or Customer Advice Centre. For Contact Details see our A-Z
If your landlord gives you an 'Assured Shorthold Tenancy' and wants a bond/deposit, they must now be a member of a 'tenancy deposit scheme'. Get more advice about this or at
shelter.org.uk/knowyourrights.
See also 'Problems with where you live'.
The Homeless Prevention Team at Customer Advice Centre may also be able to help with rent in advance if you are working with them to plan your housing.
Where to look:
• Thursday's 'The Press' property supplement carries small ads from landlords letting direct (and larger ads from agencies). 'Accommodation to let' is usually shared housing. 'Property to let' is self contained, e.g. flats or houses. The Press website uses fish4homes;
For online ads try: gumtree.com or fish4homes.co.uk or findaproperty.com they are free sites and can be used to look for rented property in York and elsewhere. There are also other commercial sites, though you'll need to pay a fee to do anything more than send automated responses to ads you're interested in.
• Adverts - in post offices, local shops etc.
• Ask friends and family - to keep their eyes open for you.
• Letting agencies - these are private agencies, who will charge you a fee of £100-130 pp for references to be checked. They cannot charge you for putting you on their list. Try other options first as unless you have a job, references and money for deposit and rent in advance, you are unlikely to get
accommodation through them, though some will rent to students. Some agencies will sometimes accept tenants with a bond guarantee. See
here for more information about bond guarantee.
The Shared Housing Scheme run by York Housing Association has shared furnished accommodation for single people 18+. Ring for an application form direct or get one from
Castlegate.
For Contact Details see our A-Z
When viewing any property, take basic safety precautions - if you can't take someone with you, make sure someone knows where you are going and what time to expect you to check back with them.
EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION
If you are homeless or about to become homeless (or kicked out), the Council will work with you to try and sort things out where you live, but may have to offer you emergency accommodation if you (or someone who lives with you) are eligible, homeless and:
• responsible for dependant children
• pregnant
• aged 16 or 17 years old - see here
• vulnerable because of a physical disability, learning difficulty, mental health problem or some other special need/ circumstance
• are homeless because of flood, fire etc
Tell the Customer Advice Centre about any of the above, about any medical problems you have, or if you are escaping violence or abuse. You should also tell them if you have spent time being 'looked after' by Social Services or have been in prison, on remand or in the armed forces, no matter for how long. You will usually be offered an interview in private, and with either a man or woman if you prefer.
For Contact Details see our A-Z
Independent Domestic Abuse Services (formerly Women's Aid) - provide safe temporary accommodation for women (and any children) fleeing domestic violence. They also have an outreach service that works with both female and male victims of domestic abuse.
What happens next?
If you are offered temporary accommodation you will be given a support worker, and they will look at your support needs with you and how well you manage. For example your practical skills, if you pay your rent (or rent contribution if you get Housing Benefit), your behaviour etc. You are likely to be in temporary accommodation for some time, and your support worker or case worker will help you make referrals to supported accommodation if this is appropriate. This gives you priority for housing when you are ready to move into your own place. Otherwise you will eventually be offered a permanent tenancy, or help to move into private rented accommodation.
All housing offered to you when you are homeless has to be suitable, but this does not mean perfect. If you are offered housing that you are not happy about, accept it, then get advice from Castlegate or HARP. For Contact Details see our A-Z
IF YOU ARE 16 OR 17
...and homeless, you should go to the Customer Advice Centre. For Contact Details see our A-Z. The Council has a duty to look into your situation and may have to find you emergency accommodation while they do this. They will also want to contact your parents to check whether you can return, and will try and sort things out for you to go back home, even if this is for a short time, while you get help planning other housing (such as supported accommodation). If you have not officially left school yet, you may also be seen by the Children and Family Services (Social Services).
If it is not safe for you to return home you need to tell them why. They can't contact your parents without your permission, but you'll need to tell them why you don't want this to happen. However it may be easier if your parent(s) can go with you, if you both agree.
At Customer Advice Centre you will also meet with one of the Young Person's Accommodation Workers who can offer you support and look at your long-term options.
Castlegate can also talk to you about your options, explain your rights, and help you apply for supported accommodation.
If you are put in temporary accommodation, your support worker or case worker will work with you to plan permanent housing. This will depend on how you get on in temporary accommodation, and what support you need. In temporary accommodation you will be asked to pay rent or a contribution towards it, and keep to the rules. If not you can be asked to leave. Permanent housing may be supported accommodation (see here) or a Council or Housing Association tenancy. (See here).
To be able to get a tenancy you will have to meet regularly with a support worker, and have a financial guarantor. If there is no-one suitable that can do this for you, then ask your support worker, case worker or Castlegate about the financial guarantor scheme run by York Action on Young Homeless, who publish this guide.
IF YOU ARE UNDER 16
The law says you must have an adult responsible for you and that you cannot live alone. A lot of help described in the Guide will be of no use - for example you cannot use hostels or Nightstop, you cannot claim benefits or work full time. If things are bad at home it is usually better (and safer) to try and sort things out, rather than running away. Your main options are:
• Get help sorting things out with your parents. This might be from someone else in your family, a Connexions Adviser, or someone else you get support from. Otherwise Children and Family Services may be able to help.
• Living with someone else - e.g. another family member or friend's parents. They should be able to claim Child Benefit for you instead of your parent(s), and usually other benefits too such as Tax Credits. You may have your parents permission to do this, but either way, Social Services may become involved to sort out an agreement between you, your parents and your new carer.
• The Local Authority have a duty to look after you if you are kicked out, or if things are too bad for you to live at home. If you are already getting help from a worker - for example Connexions PA, teacher, YOT worker, youth worker etc - you can ask them to refer you to Children and Family Services (Social Services). Otherwise you can refer yourself by going to or ringing the Customer Advice Centre, or asking someone at Castlegate to do this with you. For Contact Details see our A-Z. They will try and help sort things out at home, or in an emergency find you somewhere to stay.
• Your options change when you are 16, so you may decide to stick it out until then, and in the meantime, find out all you can for the future. Some options also change when you officially leave school (on the last Friday in June in the school year in which you reach 16). Contact Castlegate or your Connexions PA to talk things through.
Running away is a big risk to take.
Try and sort things out before it gets that bad. However, if you do run away, contact Castlegate for support.
You can also phone the Runaway Helpline - a confidential helpline which can give help and advice, or put you in contact with local services if you want. They can also pass on a message to your family to let them know you are safe, without telling them where you are. For Contact Details see our A-Z
If you have left home or care and are picked up by the police they will try and return you back there. If you have left because of violence or abuse for example, they should not return you until they have checked out your circumstances and decided whether it is safe for you to return or not. If it isn't safe, they should find somewhere for you to stay until things are sorted out.
The organisations mentioned here have different 'confidentiality policies'. If you are worried about them telling other people (parents, police etc), ask them first what their policy is. If you are not ready to talk you may still get some help from places that give out food and other practical help.
ORGANISATIONS THAT CAN HELP
For Contact Details see our A-Z
Both Castlegate and Customer Advice Centre can help. For more information see here.
If you have been in care past your 16th birthday you can get information, advice and support on housing and other issues until you reach 21 from York Pathway Team.
Peasholme Resettlement Centre offers supported accommodation (see here) and also support to people who have accommodation but have housing problems. During the day they offer a range of workshops and activities. These include personal skills, money management, housing and benefits advice, and one to one support. You will need to be referred to Peasholme by another agency.
Salvation Army Early Intervention and Prevention Team work with people who are homeless or sleeping rough and those
in danger of becoming homeless, e.g. by losing their tenancy. They may be able to sort out hostel accommodation in York, or elsewhere if there is a waiting list for York hostels until a vacancy comes up (this usually depends on you having a local connection). Long term they offer resettlement support. Salvation Army can provide emergency travel warrants - I.D and proof of need is required. They also give out food parcels - you'll usually need referring from another agency e.g. Castlegate, and you'll need access to cooking facilities.
For Contact Details see our A-Z
HARP - can tell you about your rights if you are homeless, and give you advice and information about the law. They can also help challenge decisions made by the Council.
Carecent - provide a free breakfast, befriending, signposting and advice service. They also have a clothes store. Open Mon - Sat: 8.30-11.00am (last food 10.45am), including bank holidays (and Christmas Day, by invitation). Carecent is behind and to the left of the Central Methodist Church on St. Saviourgate.
Advisory Service for Squatters - offer phone advice and produce 'The Squatters Handbook' - currently £2. They also have information for squatters and travellers at squatter.org.uk
Shelterline - a 24 hr recorded helpline for housing problems. They can explain your rights - also at shelter.org.uk/knowyourrights and help you take action.