What we can help you with

We can provide support tailored to your needs.

Depending on your situation, we'll either:  

• give you advice about how to stay in your home, if it's possible
• give you advice about finding a new home
• offer temporary accommodation whilst you find a new home

We'll talk to you about what options are realistic for your situation.  

There are currently 8,600 households waiting for social housing in Croydon. The average waiting time is 8 years for a 2 bedroom property and 9 years for a 3 bedroom property. 

You are much more likely to be able to rent privately than to get a social housing property. Most people will be on the housing register for years and may never be offered a council tenancy.

Help to find a new home

We'll help you find a private rented home. This is when you rent from someone who owns the home you live in, known as a 'private landlord'.  

Our support may include:  

• giving you advice about benefits you may be entitled to
• helping you find landlords who will rent their properties to benefit claimants 
• showing you how to search for a home that fits your needs
• advice on looking in areas outside London, which could make it easier to find a property
• sharing other organisations that can help
• financial support including help with a deposit  

If we can offer you temporary accommodation

If we decide you urgently need accommodation, we will provide temporary accommodation. 

This could be a temporary placement in a hostel, bed and breakfast, private rented accommodation, shelter, or other type of temporary accommodation.    

If we offer you temporary accommodation, it is likely to be outside the borough of Croydon. 

Living in temporary accommodation will not guarantee that you receive an offer for a council tenancy, and many families have lived in temporary accommodation for many years. 

If you are offered temporary accommodation, you may need to:

• move out of the borough or London
• move at short notice multiple times
• stay somewhere with limited cooking facilities
• share with other people, for example, in a hostel
• rehome your pets

We can support you in finding accommodation you can afford in the private rented sector, which is likely to be a better solution to your homelessness.