Wherever possible the council seeks to prevent homelessness. If you have no alternative accommodation and we believe that you are homeless, eligible and in priority need, we may offer temporary accommodation while we are assessing your homelessness application or when you have been accepted as homeless and are waiting for a permanent home.

Accommodation during enquiries (section 188)

If the Housing Solutions Officer dealing with your homeless application has enough reason to believe that you may be homeless, eligible and in priority need, they should ensure that you have accommodation to occupy until they have completed their enquiries into your application. This may involve;

• Negotiating with your landlord to allow you to remain beyond your notice date;

• Negotiating with your parents / relatives / friends to allow you to remain while enquiries are completed

• Asking you whether you have anyone you can stay with on a short term basis;

• Obtaining emergency accommodation for you.

If you then receive a decision which advises you that the council has no duty to provide accommodation for you, any temporary accommodation you have been provided with by this council may cease immediately.

Types of Temporary Accommodation

Tamworth Borough Council may use different types of accommodation dependent on the size of your household, any special needs you have and the availability of accommodation at the time you require it.

Bed and Breakfast

In an emergency, the accommodation is likely to be a Bed and Breakfast (B and B) where you share facilities with other residents and although not ideal it may be the only option available. As the B and Bs are already furnished, you can only take your personal belongings such as clothes, toiletries and small items. There is very limited accommodation of this type in the area and it is possible you will be offered accommodation outside the Tamworth Borough.

Private Sector Leased Properties

The Private Sector Leasing Scheme is a partnership arrangement between Tamworth Borough Council and private homeowners. The Council leases the property off the owner and uses the property for temporary accommodation. Tamworth Council pays the owner guaranteed rent monthly in advance.

We can place homeless households into these properties for them to occupy as their temporary accommodation until permanent accommodation is available.

Refuge

If you have experienced domestic abuse, the Council will try to help you get accommodation in a Women’s Refuge. This will ensure your safety while the Council looks at your application.

Suitability of the Accommodation

Although we may not be able to meet your every wish/requirement, we will talk to you about any special needs you have, where you work, where your children attend school and your ability to cope away from family. We will then try to match you up with the temporary accommodation we have available that best suits your needs. However, it is likely that compromises will need to be made as temporary accommodation is subject to availability at the time you are homeless.

Can I appeal against the temporary accommodation offered to me?

You can always speak to your Housing Solutions Officer if you have any concerns, but you need to be realistic about the availability of accommodation. There is no appeal against the suitability of the accommodation offered to you whilst the Council is investigating your application.

The Council has a list of frequently asked questions relating to temporary accommodation here

You can find advice on temporary accommodation provided by the Council here

Compliments and Complaints

The council has a Tell Us policy so everyone can be clear about how to compliment comment and complain about services and what will happen to those comments once they are received. We welcome communications from every source; they are a very important form of feedback about our services and help us to improve. Details of the Tell Us policy can be found here

We welcome feedback on the service we provide and we may ask you to complete a customer satisfaction survey during your stay in temporary accommodation.

If you are in temporary accommodation and have any questions, these can be directed to your case officer.

More general enquiries can be directed to Housing Solutions on 01827 709709 or by emailing housingsolutions@tamworth.gov.uk

If you are homeless and have nowhere to stay and the office is closed you can contact the Council's Out of Hours service on 01827 709709 and choose option 1.