Homeless application and decision process

Even if you don't meet the criteria, you can still contact us for help and advice. 

• Priority need
• Local connection
• Intentionally homeless
• Decision making

Priority need

If you are homeless, eligible and in priority need then we must make sure you are offered suitable temporary accommodation until our duty to help you ends.

You may have a priority need for help if you:

• are a pregnant woman or you live with, or would reasonably be expected to live with, a pregnant woman
• have a dependent child living with you or might reasonably be expected to live with you
• are vulnerable due to some special reason (such as old age, physical or mental illness or physical or mental disability)
• are homeless or threatened with homelessness as a result of an emergency such as flood, fire or other disaster
• are homeless as a result of being subject to domestic abuse
• have reached the age of 18 but are under 21 and are at particular risk of sexual or financial exploitation, or you are leaving care
• have served in the regular armed forces and have been homeless since leaving those forces
• are assessed as having a local connection with Swansea and are assessed as vulnerable due to having served a custodial sentence or been remanded into youth detention

If none of the above apply to your situation, please still contact Housing Options as the team can still advise on your housing options.

Local connection

Your homelessness caseworker will decide during your assessment if you have a local connection to Swansea. If you do not have a local connection to Swansea you may be referred back to your 'home' area.

However if you have no local connection anywhere, and ask us for help then we may consider providing help/taking responsibility.

You have a local connection if you have:

• lived in Swansea for 3 years out of the last 5 years
• lived in Swansea for 6 months out of the last 12 months
• stable employment in Swansea
• close relatives who have lived in Swansea for the last 5 years

Intentionally homeless

You may be considered intentionally homeless if you leave or are forced to leave accommodation that you could reasonably have been expected to continue to stay in, but which you left as a result of something you did or failed to do. This includes if you:

• voluntarily gave up your accommodation, either in the UK or abroad, and it would have been considered reasonable for you to continue to live there
• are evicted for rent arrears or mortgage, in circumstances where there is no good reason for non-payment
• are evicted for anti-social behaviour, such as harassment or drug dealing
• chose to sell your house without good reason
• chose to give up employment, which included accommodation, for no good reason

If you are found to be eligible and in priority need, but homeless intentionally, we may be able to provide temporary accommodation to give you a reasonable opportunity of securing accommodation for yourself and give you advice if needed.

Decision making

After your assessment your homelessness caseworker will decide what legal duties we owe you and you will be informed of this decision in writing - if you do not agree with this decision you can request a review.

Who to contact to request a review is in the decision letter you are provided with. Your review request should be made within 21 days of you receiving the decision. The request should be made in writing and you must clearly state the reasons for requesting a review. Shelter, Citizen's Advice Bureau, or a solicitor of your own choice may be able to assist you. The review will be carried out by a person independent of the original decision and the review will be based on the information you provide. A decision will be reached within 8 weeks of the date of your request.