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Recourse to public funds
The advice and support we can give depends on whether you have recourse to public funds. If you do, this means that you are eligible for benefits and housing assistance. Shelter has information on who is eligible for homeless assistance if you are not sure.
Immigration rules are complex. We cannot give immigration advice on your individual case. Contact the North London Law Centres for a free appointment.
The following advice and guidance is available :
- Support for Afghan refugees in Camden
- Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship scheme
- Shelter: British citizens returning from abroad after a long period
- NRPF Network: Advice on your rights and entitlements
- Citizens Advice: Immigration advice
If you do not have recourse to public funds and think you have care and support needs due to illness or disability, please contact Adult Social Care on 0207 974 6866, option 1.
You can also contact the following organisations for housing support:
Worried about money
- Citizens Advice has advice on getting benefits if you've recently moved to the UK.
- GOV.UK has information on asylum support.
How to contact us
If you are homeless or at risk of being homeless, complete the housing application form. This takes about 10 minutes.
Help with your application
If you need help to complete this form online, you could ask a relative, friend or neighbour. If you cannot go online, are vulnerable or have a disability you should contact us.
Rough sleeping
If you're rough sleeping, Routes off the Streets can provide support. This includes access to drug and alcohol treatment and mental health services.
What happens next
After completing the form, an advisor will contact you within 10 working days. They will assess your situation and ask you to provide documents such as a:
- passport or Home Office documents
- Section 21 notice or other information about why you are homeless
- medical assessment or medication information
- recent payslip or benefit payment
Don't worry if you can’t find your documents straight away. It is more important that you have contacted us.
Eligible for housing assistance
If you have recourse to public funds and are homeless or threatened with homelessness within 56 days, you are eligible for housing assistance.
An advisor will work with you to agree a personal housing plan. This will include the steps that Camden and you will take to end your homelessness.
If we have reason to believe you are in priority need, we may provide emergency accommodation. Let us know if you have a pet. Most emergency accommodation will not take pets and you should think about asking friends or family if they can help.
Emergency accommodation could include shared facilities and be:
- a hostel or hotel
- outside Camden
We will provide this while we work with you to find longer-term housing. View the Homelessness Accommodation Policy.
Longer-term housing
We can support you to find longer-term housing. This will probably be a private rented property. Our support includes:
- funding to cover the first month’s rent and deposit
- support to negotiate with landlords to achieve an affordable rent and advice and guidance around what’s affordable
- employment support
- tenant rights and responsibility guidance
Rent in Camden is very expensive. Where possible we will support you to find property options in or as near to Camden as we can. Our priority is to make sure that you can keep your tenancy in a property that meets your housing needs.
If you will struggle to manage a tenancy, we will work with you to achieve this. We can also support you to access supported accommodation if appropriate.
Not eligible for housing assistance
If you have no recourse to public funds this means that you are not eligible for most benefits or housing assistance. If this is the case, we will write to tell you about services that may be able to support you.
Shelter has information for adults from abroad who are not eligible for homelessness assistance.