Christmas opening times

Find out more about what services are available over the Christmas period including bin collections and the opening times of tips, leisure centres and other facilities.

Christmas opening times

Homeless or at risk?

In this section

  1. How we can help
  2. Other organisations that can help
  3. Referring someone who is homeless for help
  4. Report someone who is homeless or rough sleeping
  5. Homelessness Charter
  6. Pledge your support to the Homelessness Charter

How we can help

Get online tailored housing advice for you...

Are you looking for housing advice? Click the link below to visit our housing advice tool. You will be able to find support and guidance on the following:

  • how to solve problems affecting your housing situation
  • what to do if you have been asked to leave your property
  • how you can find somewhere else to live
  • how we can help you

Please note: you will not be asked to provide any personal details.

Housing Advice

Are you at risk of homelessness?

Everyone is entitled to free advice from the council. Our Housing Solutions Service offers a wide range of housing related advice if you are facing difficulties keeping your home. We can offer advice on:

If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness within 56 days you may apply to the council for a homeless application. In this situation it's important to note the city council will in the first instance work with you to help prevent you from becoming homeless and where possible, keep you in your current accommodation.

If you are already homeless, the council may be able to work with you to help resolve your housing situation.

A homeless application is not an application for council or social housing. Click here if you would like to apply for social housing.

Please note: Council housing is in really short supply, and demand far outweighs the number of available properties. Therefore it is really difficult to achieve an offer of social housing. If you are threatened with homelessness, we only have a short period of time to help prevent you from becoming homeless so other options such as private renting or supported housing schemes will be considered.

In addition, under homelessness, there is no responsibility from the council to offer you accommodation in your preferred choice of rehousing areas. The council will weigh up the need to rehouse you quickly against your personal circumstances but often an offer of accommodation within the borders of Stoke-on-Trent may be seen as suitable.

A homeless application is asking the council to help consider ways in which we may support you with your housing situation. Officers have access to a range of tools and options to help keep you in your current home, or help you to find alternative accommodation if required. Accommodation options may range from supported housing including hostels or accommodation within the private or social housing sectors.

If you’re at risk of homelessness and are applying for yourself, you can follow the link below - Threatened with Homelessness Application.

We ask that you complete the form fully providing as much information as you can. Once submitted, the information will be considered to see if there are grounds for assistance under homelessness and you may be allocated to a caseworker who will contact you to discuss your situation further.

Alternatively you can contact the council on 01782 233696 if you prefer to speak to an advisor about your situation who will submit a referral for you.We will give you advice on how to avoid losing your current home or help to secure you alternative accommodation.

Threatened with Homelessness Application

Referring someone who is homeless for help

If you are a support agency or public body working with a client, you will not be able to complete the threatened with homelessness form on their behalf. You can find out how to refer someone by clicking the link below: 

Referring someone who is homeless for help

Sometimes we can only offer advice on the above situations but you may be entitled to some temporary or emergency accommodation. 

Homeless Tonight

If you have nowhere to stay tonight, we will advise you on the best course of action to take. 

Please call us on 01782 233696. If you are homeless today, we will ensure that someone calls you back the same day. An assessment will be made to determine if we are able to offer any emergency accommodation.

Outside of office hours call 01782 234234.

You can also call the rough sleepers team on a free phone number 0800 970 2304.