What to expect

If you find yourself homeless, or about to be, the following will explain what you should expect:

Assessment of Homelessness

If you think you are homeless, or about to be, and you contact West Dunbartonshire Council to request advice or assistance you will usually be offered an assessment interview with a Housing Solutions Caseworker.  This will help us to assess the best way to help you. 

Your assessment interview will be conducted in complete confidence in a private room and you will be asked for personal details relevant to an assessment of your housing and support needs.

For example, you will be asked to provide information about:

• Your household composition
• Current and previous addresses
• Reasons for homelessness
• Health problems, medication and treatment
• Addictions
• Income, debt and financial circumstances

You will be asked to provide proof of who you are (passport, drivers licence, etc.), proofs of income and residence as well as other documentary evidence, when this is necessary to process your application.

You can expect to be interviewed by a caseworker who will put you at ease, listen sympathetically to your account of your circumstances and provide appropriate advice and assistance in relation to your rights.

Please request a same sex interviewer if this would be helpful.  We would also encourage you to bring a friend, family member, carer or advisor with you to your interview if you would prefer not to attend on your own.

Assessment Decision

1. Are you homeless or about to be?

If you are not homeless then the council does not have any duty towards you.  You can however still apply for a house with us.

If you are homeless, or about to be, we may use our discretionary power to assess whether you are intentionally homeless.

2. Are you intentionally homeless?

You are intentionally homeless if you have deliberately done, or failed to do, something that has resulted in you becoming homeless or threatened with homelessness.  For example if you were made homeless after being evicted from your house because of anti social behaviour.

If you are assessed as being intentionally homeless you will be offered temporary accommodation (where required) for a reasonable period of time.  Your caseworker will give you advice and assistance to finding a permanent house to stay.

3. Do you have a local connection?

Local connection has been suspended in Scotland therefore this test will not be applied if you are presenting from anywhere in Scotland.  We will still however record whether you have a local connection to West Dunbartonshire by the following tests. 

You will have local connection to West Dunbartonshire if you:

• Have lived in the area for the last 6 months
• Have lived in the area in the last year or 3 of the last 5 years
• Have close families links in the area, and that they have lived here for at least 5 years
• Require vital ongoing medical treatment in the area
• Are fleeing domestic abuse from another area
• Have employment or education in the area

If you do not have a local connection to West Dunbartonshire and you are from out with Scotland you will be referred back to the council that you have a local connection with.

If you have a local connection or are from somewhere else in Scotland, then you will be provided with temporary accommodation and the council will find you permanent accommodation.  This will include referring you to housing associations in the area.

4. Are you unintentionally homeless?

If you are assessed as unintentionally homeless we have a statutory duty to provide you with temporary accommodation (Temporary Accommodation page) if you require it until you are permanently housed.  You will be offered a reasonable offer of permanent housing.  Permanent housing will be sought on the basis of your individual housing need, we will exclude areas where there is a confirmed risk or safety concerns to you or your household.  If there are verified medical needs in line with medical assessments this will be considered as to what type of property you may be offered.  We will consider all types of housing for example flatted accommodation, cottage type accommodation within housing stock that is available, particular house types will only be excluded if there is a medical requirement to do so.  Housing in West Dunbartonshire includes:

• Clydebank
• Dumbarton
• Alexandria

Our service can also make a Section 5 referral to any of the Registered Social Landlords in West Dunbartonshire if they have properties that are void. 

We are not able to guarantee where you may prefer to be housed as offers of housing will be made where there is available housing stock to resolve your households homelessness.

If you refuse your offer of housing your Caseworker will investigate your reasons for this and will advise you in writing of the decision awarded.  If you are unhappy with that decision or think the wrong decision has been made you have the right to appeal.

Temporary accommodation

What type of temporary accommodation can I stay in?