Your homeless application

How we process your application

We'll consider whether:

• you're homeless or at risk of homelessness
• you're intentionally homeless
• you have a local connection within East Renfrewshire

Homeless or at risk of homelessness

You meet this criteria if:

• you've nowhere to live
• you need to leave your home within the next 56 days
• your house isn't safe to live in
• you're escaping domestic violence
• your landlord has stopped you entering your home
• your home is overcrowded and a danger to your health
• you're at risk of abuse
• you're living in a hostel or bed and breakfast
• it's unreasonable for you to keep living in your current home

Intentionally homeless

You meet this criteria if:

• you've deliberately done something or not done something resulting in you being homeless
• it was reasonable for you to keep living in your home

If we decide you're intentionally homeless we don't need to give you a permanent home.

We can offer you temporary accommodation until you find somewhere to live.

We can also give you help and advice to find somewhere permanent to live.

Local connection

In November 2022, The Scottish Government amended the rules on local connection. They were changed to allow people to apply as homeless to any council in Scotland. 

We can, in some cases, refer an applicant to a council in England or Wales if they have a local connection there.

Our decision

We'll give you a decision within 28 days. We may take longer if we need information from another organisation.

We'll write to you with our decision.

We'll send this to your postal address if you have one. If you don't we'll arrange for you to come into the office to collect your letter.

A housing advisor can explain our decision if you need this.

Housing offer

If we decide you are homeless or at risk of homelessness we only make 1 housing offer. We'll then close your homeless application.

You can still keep applying for housing and get housing advice.