If you are homeless or at risk of losing your home, the council has a duty under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 to look into your situation and find out how we may possibly be able to help you.
Complete the Home Options Newport housing solutions guide for information on housing and the options open to you.
Homeless or threatened with homelessness? Phone 656656 and ask for the housing solutions team
If you are threatened with homelessness within the next 56 days we will work with you to take all reasonable steps to prevent homelessness from happening, either by working with you to keep your existing home or by finding alternative accommodation.
If you are already homeless we will take all reasonable steps to find you alternative accommodation, helping for up to 56 days after you have become homeless. This is known as the homelessness relief duty.
You will be expected to work with your caseworker to agree reasonable steps that may include :
- an offer of suitable accommodation with a private landlord
- an offer of suitable accommodation with support
- assistance to secure accommodation you have found yourself
- an offer of suitable social housing
If you are still homeless after 56 days
If we have not been able to house you and you have done everything you were asked to do, we will decide if we have a duty to continue to assist you.
If you have refused a suitable offer of accommodation, including within the private sector, or have not followed the list of agreed actions you may not be entitled to further help.
If you have followed the agreed actions and have not been successful in finding suitable housing, we will try to find out if you are in one of the priority need groups, and if your homelessness was as a result of something you have done or failed to do.
At the end of the 56 days, if we are satisfied you are in one of the priority need groups and are not homeless intentionally, we will continue to help you find a new home.
If you have nowhere to stay
If you have nowhere safe to stay we will do all we can to find you somewhere to stay on a temporary basis while you work with the council to find a solution.
If we believe you may be eligible, homeless and have an apparent priority need and we cannot provide you with a solution in the short or medium term, we try to provide temporary accommodation.
If temporary accommodation is provided you may be asked to leave if:
- you breach the terms of your agreement
- you have refused an offer of suitable accommodation, including private rented accommodation
- we decide you have made yourself intentionally homeless
- you have not done everything your caseworker has asked you to do
- you have suitable accommodation available to you
If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness contact the housing solutions team on (01633) 656656.
Homelessness Strategy
The council is committed to tackling homelessness in the city and has developed a Gwent-wide homelessness strategy with the other Gwent local authorities.
The strategy sets out key aims and objectives with details of planned actions to address the needs identified across Newport and Gwent, in line with statutory guidance and building on the comprehensive review of homelessness that was done as part of the process.
Download the Gwent Homelessness Review 2018 (pdf)
Download the Gwent Homelessness Strategy 2018-2022 (pdf)
Test of intentionality
Newport City Council has elected to apply the test of intentionality to all groups listed within Section 70 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.
These groups are:
- A pregnant woman
- A person with whom a dependent child resides
- A person who is vulnerable as a result of old age, physical or mental illness or disability etc
- A person who is homeless as a result of an emergency, e.g. flood, fire or other disaster
- A person who is homeless as a result of domestic abuse
- A person aged 16 or 17
- A person aged between 18 and 21 who is deemed to be at risk of sexual or financial exploitation
- A person aged 18 and 21 who was looked after, accommodated or fostered by a local authority while under the age of 18
- A person who has served in the armed forces and is homeless following release from the armed forces
- A person who has a local connection with the local authority who is vulnerable as a result of being in custody and is homeless upon release from custody.
Download the Cabinet Member report detailing the decision taken 15 June 2015 (pdf)
Local services
Find information about a number of local services in Newport on the Home Options Newport website or contact the council's housing solution team on on (01633) 656656 for further information.
Contact
During office hours contact rehousing services at Newport City Council.
Privacy Notice
Download the Homelessness privacy policy (pdf)