Homelessness Prevention
Are you homeless or about to be made homeless and
need help? The Housing Options Team can advise you about your
rights and try to help prevent you from becoming
homeless. Appointments are available to see a duty officer at
Ryedale House every weekday except for Wednesdays. During a
Housing Options appointment the officer will explore all of
your Housing Options discussing your households
requirements, the affordability and suitability of your existing
accommodation and other housing alternatives. Please
telephone customer services to make an appointment if at all
possible on 01653 600666. In special circumstances a home
visit can be arranged.
There can be many causes of homelessness. Our
aim is to intervene at an early stage to prevent people from losing
their accommodation; therefore we would urge you to contact the
team as soon as possible so that we can give you personal
advice , however we have provided information below relating
to questions people often ask about homelessness and links to
useful advice and information from other organisations who may be
able to help.
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Service
I need housing advice following a
relationship breakdown
A Housing Options officer can advise you about your rights and
they can refer you to specialists who may able to assist you if
required. They can also discuss your future housing
options, inform you about how to find suitable housing
and check what is affordable for your household. To
make an appointment please telephone 01653 600666.
Appointments are usually available every weekday except for
Wednesdays at Ryedale House in Malton alternatively you can send an
email and include your
contact details so that the duty officer can contact
you as soon as they are able.
Ryedale
CAB may also be able to advise you they hold
drop-in sessions at
Community House on
Wentworth Street in Malton each Monday, Wednesday and Friday from
9.30am until 12.30pm and there is a drop-in session in Pickering
library each Tuesday from 9.30am until 12.30pm. Email bureau@ryedalecab.cabnet.org.uk
or telephone the advice line on 0844 4111444.
I am renting from a private landlord and
have been served with notice to quit
Please contact the Housing Options Team straight away so that
they can advise you about your legal rights and check whether the
notice is legally correct. They may be able to negotiate with
your landlord or advise you about your Housing Options with regard
to finding alternative accommodation. To make an appointment
telephone 01653 600666. Appointments are usually available at
Ryedale House in Malton every weekday except Wednesdays,
alternatively you can contact the team by email, please include a
telephone number so that an officer can contact you.
Visit the Shelter website for
specific information about private tenancies and your rights and
obligations as a tenant.
My parents have asked me to leave and find
my own accommodation
The Housing Options Team provides specialist advice for
young people. Please book an appointment by telephoning 01653
600666. Appointments are normally available every
weekday except for Wednesdays at Ryedale House in Malton, however
in some circumstances an officer may be able to meet you at home or
at another agreed location. Alternatively you can contact the
team by email, please include a
telephone number so that an officer can contact you.
The Housing Options Team work to prevent homelessness in Ryedale
in partnership with Barnardo's,
Foundation
UK and Ryedale
YMCA.
I am renting and my house is not fit to
live in due to damp, lack of heating or disrepair
Please email Housing Services to
discuss the disrepair issues with a specialist officer or
telephone on 01653 600666.
I have mortgage arrears and am at risk of
losing my house
The Government has launched a number of initiatives to
assist homeowners in mortgage difficulties or facing repossession,
these are known as mortgage rescue schemes. The
Housing Options Team can advise you and refer you to a specialist
debt advisor or legal advisor if appropriate and if you are
eligible they can help you to apply for a mortgage rescue
scheme. To make an appointment to see a Housing Options
Officer please phone 01653 600666. Appointments are
normally available every weekday except for Wednesdays at Ryedale
House in Malton, however in some circumstances an officer may be
able to meet you at home or at another agreed location.
Alternatively you can contact the Housing Options Team by email,
please include a telephone number so that an officer can contact
you.
The Citizens Advice Bureau can advise people who are having
difficulty keeping up with mortgage payments. Visit the
National CAB Website. Alternatively
Ryedale Citizens Advice Bureau may also be able to
advise you; they hold drop-in sessions at Community House on
Wentworth Street in Malton each Monday, Wednesday and Friday from
9.30am until 12.30pm and there is a drop-in session in Pickering
library each Tuesday from 9.30am until 12.30pm. You can also
contact Ryedale CAB by Email or
telephone the advice line on 0844 4111444.
I have rent arrears and am at risk of
losing my home
The Housing Options Team can give you personal
advice and refer you to other agencies who may be able to
help. They may also be able to assist you to apply for
benefits or may be able to speak to your landlord to help prevent
you from becoming homeless. To make an appointment to see a
Housing Options Officer please phone 01653 600666.
Appointments are normally available every weekday except
for Wednesdays at Ryedale House in Malton, however in some
circumstances an officer may be able to meet you at home or at
another agreed location. Alternatively you can contact the
Housing Options Team by email, please include a
telephone number so that an officer can contact you.
If you cannot pay your rent, you have missed
rent payments or you are worried that your payments are not being
made, sort things out as soon as you can. Even if you have other
debts, make sure you deal with your rent arrears first.
Things to do to help you get back on track
- Make a list of all your debts and identify the most important
that you need to tackle first such as your rent, council tax, gas,
water and electricity charges.
- Write down all your income and expenses and work out a personal
household budget to help you decide how much you can afford to pay
to each of the people you owe money to.
- Consider seeking advice from a debt advice agency such as
National
Debtline.
- Most importantly, talk to your landlord - try to reach an
agreement about paying off the arrears, but do not agree to pay
more than you can afford.
I have received a summons calling me to
court about a housing matter
It is very important that you attend court in order to make the
judge fully aware of your personal circumstances. Please
contact the Housing Options Team as soon as possible and they can
advise you and may be able to arrange for a specialist worker to
support you at court if required. Make an appointment by
telephoning customer services on 01653 600666 or send
an email including your
telephone number that so an officer can contact you.
I am suffering from domestic violence and
need housing advice
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The Housing Options Team work in partnership with local
services who support people suffering from domestic violence.
A member of the team will be able to give you advice about your
housing rights and information about emergency accommodation if
required. They can refer you to other agencies who may be
able to help and support you. They can also help you by
giving you advice in order that you can take control and plan a
positive move. To make an appointment please telephone 01653
600666.
Foundation
UK have specialist workers who run a domestic abuse
service in the Ryedale area. They offer practical and
emotional support to people suffering abuse and their
children. For more information email ryedale@foundationuk.org or
telephone 01653 691400.
Information and advice about domestic violence is
available on North Yorkshire
Police website or by telephoning 0845 6060247. If
you need the Police in an emergency dial 999.
Visit the Women's Aid website for
more information about this national charity.
The National
Domestic Violence Helpline is a freephone telephone
advice service which operates 24 hours a day and is run by Refuge
and Women's Aid. To contact them phone 0808 200247.
Refuge is a national
organisation providing advice and support to women suffering
domestic violence and emergency accommodation.
Advice for Men Suffering Domestic
Violence
If you are a man suffering domestic violence you can get advice
and support from Mankind by telephoning
01823 334244. The helpline is available to all men in the UK
whether they are in a heterosexual or same-sex relationship.
My home is no longer suitable due to
illness or disability
If you are a housing association tenant please contact your own
housing officer to discuss your needs with them. 
If you own your own home or rent from a private landlord please
contact social
care at North Yorkshire County Council you can email social care or
telephone 0845 034 9410.
My rent has been increased and I can't
afford to pay it
The Housing Options Team can give you personal advice and
refer you to other agencies who may be able to help. They may
also be able to assist you to apply for benefits or may be able to
speak to your landlord to help prevent you from becoming
homeless. To make an appointment to see a Housing Options
Officer please phone 01653 600666. Appointments are
normally available every weekday except for Wednesdays at Ryedale
House in Malton, however in some circumstances an officer may be
able to meet you at home or at another agreed location.
Alternatively you can contact the Housing Options Team by email,
please include a telephone number so that an officer can contact
you.
I need advice about claiming benefits
During a Housing Options interview the officer may advise
you about benefits to which you may be entitled.
I want to find out what benefits I am entitled to.
I want to find out if I
qualify for Tax Credits.
I want more
information about claiming Housing Benefit in Ryedale.
I need housing support as I am
struggling to pay my rent and keep my home
I want to
find out more about housing support.
I need advice about drugs and
alcohol issues that affect my housing situation
The Cambridge centre is a charity which has offices in
Scarborough, Whitby and Malton and provides support and advice
for users of drugs and alcohol and other people who are
affected by drug and alcohol misuse. They also have
specialist officers who are involved in preventative work educating
local children and adults about issues around drugs and
alcohol.
Cambridge Centre.
Tel 01653 698547 for an appointment.
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