Before the council decides if you should get longer term housing, they should:

• look into your situation

• write a personal housing plan for you

This takes at least 8 weeks.

Housing offers

The council might offer you longer term housing while they help you with your personal housing plan.

This could be:

• a housing association or council home

• a private tenancy, including a room in a shared house or HMO

• a hostel or supported housing where you can stay for at least 6 months

Your council might offer an assured tenancy with a private landlord at this stage.

Accept any final offer of longer term housing.

Ask for a review if it's not suitable.

If you're still homeless after 8 weeks

After 8 weeks of homeless help with a personal housing plan, the council decides if you should get longer term housing.

This is called the 'main housing duty'.

It means the council must give you somewhere suitable to live if you:

• are legally homeless

• meet immigration conditions

• have a priority need

• are not 'intentionally homeless'

If you do not have a local connection, the council could ask a different council to help you.

They cannot do this if you are at risk of domestic abuse or other violence in that area.

The council's decision letter

The council must write to say if they will give you longer term help.

If the council decides not to help, the letter must explain why.

If the council says you should get longer term help

You usually have to stay in temporary housing until the council makes a final housing offer.

A final housing offer could be:

• a housing association or council home

• a private assured tenancy

Find out more about final offers of housing.

If the letter says you will not get longer term help

You have 3 weeks to ask for a review.

You could get free legal help with a review.