Homeless or worried about becoming homeless

Local help and support is available if you are homeless, have to leave your home or are under threat of eviction.


I’m worried that I may become homeless or I am homeless?

The first thing you should do is to contact Newcastle City Council’s Housing Advice Centre. Staff at the Housing Advice Centre can help you to maintain your existing accommodation or help find you alternative accommodation.

Newcastle City Council has a legal duty to provide advice and assistance free of charge to you if you are homeless or are ‘threatened with homelessness’. This means that you are going to become homeless within 56 days and there is nothing you can do about it. For example, if you have a notice from the court saying that your home is going to be repossessed in 4 weeks.

Newcastle City Council decide who is vulnerable and needs assistance. People over retirement age are usually considered to be vulnerable due to their age. For more information please visit www.newcastle.gov.uk.


Local housing and homelessness support

Shelter North East provides free and confidential support and advice to people who are homeless or badly housed. If necessary, they can also arrange interpreting services and home visits. They also have a free national housing advice helpline.

Crisis Skylight Newcastle offer advice and support to help people into a home, training and employment. They also have a wide range of activities and accredited courses.

Night Stop North East gives homeless young people, aged 16 to 25, a place to stay in a trained volunteers’ home for the night. This emergency accommodation for is arranged on a night by night basis.
Young people receive a private room, warm meal and somewhere safe to stay for the night, while Depaul UK look for a more permanent solution.

YMCA Newcastle youth workers offer confidential support, information and advice to young people. They can help with a range of issues such as: housing, financial hardship, drug and alcohol misuse.


Women’s Refuges

Women’s refuges are for women who have to leave home because of violence or threats of violence, usually from a partner or ex-partner, or from a forced marriage. Refuges generally aren’t able to house women who are suffering from neighbourhood harassment. If this is the case, see our Neighbourhood problems section for information.

Women’s refuges are usually ordinary houses that are shared by women and children. Women do not have to go to a refuge in their own area and the address of a refuge is kept secret to protect women from violent partners. The staff can help with claiming benefits and helping you to find more permanent housing.

Newcastle Integrated Domestic Abuse Service have a refuge for women and their children who are moving from abusive relationships. It’s open 24 hours a day. They can support men who need alternative housing to leave abusive relationships. You can be referred to this service or contact them directly. They also offer:

  • an outreach service where they support people at risk of abuse
  • independent advice about domestic and sexual violence for victims at high risk of harm
  • support with housing and legal issues, access to benefits, training, employment and finding schools and childcare

Newcastle Women’s Aid offer 1 to 1 or group support to help recover after experiencing domestic abuse.


Support to access health services

You do not need a permanent address, identification or to declare your immigration status to register with a GP surgery.

If you are having problems registering with a GP practice because you don’t have identification or an address you can: ask to talk to the practice manager and suggest that you use the GP surgery address to register. You can request ‘My Right to Healthcare’ cards from Groundswell and NHS England.

If you’re still having problems registering with a GP, you can make a complaint to NHS England.

The Joseph Cowen Healthcare Centre provides access to healthcare for people who are street homeless or in temporary accommodation who cannot access mainstream healthcare services. The drop in centre offers a daily GP service, a nurse, access to mental and sexual health support, a needle exchange, women only services, an outreach service, information, guidance and signposting for housing and benefits, bathing facilities and somewhere to drop in for a hot drink.


Homeless Health Peer Advocacy Service

Crisis offer support to anyone experiencing homelessness in Newcastle and Gateshead, to address health issues they have. The service is free and confidential. Their Homeless Health Peer Advocacy service helps to improve your confidence to use health services. Health advocates can support you with things like:

  • GP registration
  • preparing and getting to health appointments. This includes hospital services, testing, opticians, pharmacy, mental health, drug and alcohol services
  • supporting you with any follow up

Support is given by a trained volunteer who has lived experience of homelessness.  They do this by working on a 1 to 1 basis with people referred to the service, face to face, over the phone or by video conferencing.

To access this service you need to complete a short referral form, or you can give them a referral over the phone. Email: [email protected] or call 07989 214 518

If you are a refugee or asylum seeker you can find more on support available in Newcastle.


Support for homeless people

 

Oasis Community Housing is a charity which works with homeless and vulnerably housed people in Gateshead. They support people in emergency situations to help establish their independence. They have a number of specialised projects including: 24 Hour supported accommodation projects for young people; Housing and support services for vulnerable families; and services and accommodation for homeless people.

Street Paws provides free accessible vet care and kennel provision to homeless people and those in crisis across the UK.

Beam help people into employment

Last updated: March 15, 2024