Help if you are homeless and have a mental health condition

If you are living with a mental health condition and you need housing advice your local authority can help.

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If you approach the council for housing advice, as part of their assessment they will need to ask you about any previous or present mental health problems that you are experiencing or have experienced.  

As part of the assessment process you will need to give your permission for the council to contact any mental health or support services that you are already involved with.  This is so they can assess your priority and discuss with you what support can be put in place to prevent you becoming homeless or help you find and then maintain a home.  

If you are not in contact with any services, the council can make referrals for you.  This could include a referral to your GP who can then help you to access mental health services if they feel this is needed. 

Your Personal Housing Plan

If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness, following the assessment a Personal Housing Plan will be developed with you.  You are welcome to involve any support workers that are working with you.  

The Personal Housing Plan will identify your housing options and how to access and sustain them.  There may be things identified for you to do that you are not happy with. These will be discussed with you since not doing them may limit your options. 

If you have nowhere to live

Please read the Homelessness leaflet for more information on applying as homeless.

If you are currently experiencing a mental health problem and are homeless, the council will consider whether this means you are vulnerable and therefore in “priority need” for accommodation.

This will be determined by your personal circumstances, and in doing this we will take into account things like: 

  • what support you have access to  
  • how well you cope with your mental ill-health, regardless of your housing situation 
  • whether you have been in hospital for any mental health problems, either voluntarily or by being detained 

If you are in hospital

If you are in hospital and already have housing, you may need to take steps to make sure this will not be at risk because you are in hospital.  HomeChoice, the council’s housing options service can help you to do this.  Contact on 01454 868005 or email homelessness@southglos.gov.uk

If you have nowhere to go to after you are discharged from hospital, your housing situation should be considered while you are in hospital and not at the time you are ready to leave.  Any discharge plan should identify if you have nowhere to live.  You should be referred to homelessness services as soon as this is known.  

The HomeChoice team can visit you to complete a homeless application with you and begin an assessment of your needs.

The assessment will determine whether the service has a duty to provide you with emergency accommodation when you leave hospital.  They will continue to work with you to look at other options even if you are homeless.  

Supported housing

While there is no specific provider of housing support for those with mental health problems in South Gloucestershire, the following have some experience of working both with people with mental health and housing needs: 

Short term supported accommodation

This type of accommodation is limited in South Gloucestershire and there is a waiting list so it is not an immediate option.  Your housing officer will help you to apply.  There are no direct access hostels in South Gloucestershire. 

Floating support

This is support delivered in people’s own homes including if you are living in insecure accommodation or are homeless – in this situation, it is more likely that you would be offered this option. 

Further information

You can get information and advice from:

Contact HomeChoice if you have mental health problems and have nowhere to stay on 01454 868005 or email homelessness@southglos.gov.uk