I Have Nowhere Safe to Stay Tonight
Solve tonight first. The longer-term housing problem can come next.
If someone unsafe is trying to find you, do not publicly share the address of temporary accommodation or the person you are staying with.
Do this in order.
Do not try to solve everything at once. Start with immediate safety, then move forward one step at a time.
Move toward a safer, staffed place
If you are currently exposed or isolated, a police station, hospital, staffed transport hub or another suitable public place can give you somewhere safer to make calls and work out the next step.
Contact your council / housing authority
Use the official homelessness route for your UK nation. In England, councils must help people who are legally homeless or likely to become homeless within the next 8 weeks.
Say why the current place is unsafe
If violence, abuse, threats, disability, health needs, pregnancy, children or care responsibilities affect the situation, say so clearly.
Ask specifically about emergency / interim accommodation
Do not assume “housing help” only means joining a long waiting list. Emergency and temporary accommodation duties can apply depending on circumstances.
Keep essential items with you
Medication, phone, charger, identification and essential child / dependant items matter more tonight than moving everything.
Build tomorrow’s plan after you have somewhere safer
Benefits, work, school, longer-term housing, storage and belongings are easier to deal with once the immediate night is stabilised.
Take only what matters now.
Do not.
- Do not sleep somewhere you believe exposes you to immediate violence simply because you are unsure whether the council will help.
- Do not hide abuse or threats when speaking to housing services; it can materially affect the support route.
- Do not give an unsafe person the address of emergency accommodation.
- Do not assume one refusal or closed office means no emergency route exists; use the authority’s out-of-hours route when available.
Use the route that matches the problem.
External pages require an internet connection. Emergency phone numbers are shown separately where appropriate.
