Housing Advice for young people

What if I want to leave home?
Leaving home may seem like a good idea, when you turn 16. Perhaps you are arguing with your family, living by the house rules is no longer any fun or maybe you just want the independence to live your own life.

Read on before you make any big decisions, the reality of moving out may not be what you imagined.

What responsibilities will I have?
Living on your own costs money. As well as rent, there will be other bills, for example heating, lighting, food, Council Tax etc

You should note that people under the age of 25, without children, can usually only get Housing Benefit for a room in a shared house, not for a flat of their own.

As well as financial responsibilities, you will have to keep to the terms of any tenancy or licence agreement you have, or you could lose any accommodation you have managed to get.

Can I get a council flat?
The short answer to this, for most young people, is ‘No’, for these reasons:

·Under 18-year-olds cannot normally hold a tenancy.
·Over 18s, who have no children and are not disabled, have no priority for social housing (which is the name given to homes owned by the council or housing associations).
·Even those who do have some priority will face a very long wait, often many years because social housing is in such short supply. 

But my mum is throwing me out!
It is never a good idea to become homeless and the council’s priority is always to help you to avoid it. Read more about this below.

If you are under 18 and being asked to leave your family home, your first contact point at the council is the Social Services Department. Their outreach team will help your family to resolve problems and disputes, to help you to be able to stay at home and they will decide how else they can support you.

If none of this is possible your case will be assessed further. Some young people could be further assisted by Social Services; some might be referred to the Housing Department.

It is important to be aware that if you become homeless because of your own actions, the Housing Department is not likely to be able help you at all. This would include young people who are asked to leave because of unreasonable behaviour at home.

If we need to find you accommodation, this will usually be in a supported unit, where on-site staff are on hand to assist you- and to make sure everyone respects unit’s the rules, which are there to make life as pleasant as possible for all.

You need to know that guests are not usually allowed in supported units. It is also important to know that you do have to pay a weekly amount from your benefits, to contribute towards the cost of heat., light etc.

If you are 18 or over, with no dependent children, unfortunately the Council will only be able to offer you basic advice about finding your own private rented property.