If you are homeless and eligible for assistance, we have a duty for 56 days to help you secure accommodation. This is called the Relief Duty. During this time we will make every effort to help you either return home or secure alternative accommodation. 

It is likely we will try to offer you a 6 month private rented tenancy. If you decline a suitable offer we may end our duty to offer you accommodation. 

You are also required to fully engage with the advice, options and action plan given to you in your Personalised Housing Plan. If after 56 days of the Relief Duty we have not been able to make you an offer of accommodation or return you to your former home, you will be issued a decision on your homeless application. 

We will have to consider whether you are intentionally homeless under the legislation. This is an assessment taken from your homeless application and our inquiries as to whether you have done something that has caused your own homelessness. This could be failing to pay your rent or voluntarily leaving accommodation that was reasonable to occupy. There are lots of reasons why you may be considered intentionally homeless. 

If you are deemed as being intentionally homeless at the end of the 56 day period, you will be issued a written decision and if you are in temporary accommodation, issued a notice to leave. If you are deemed not to be intentional and have a local connection to Teignbridge, you will remain in temporary accommodation until alternative accommodation can be secured. The alternative accommodation may still be a private rented tenancy.