Are you homeless?
Are you homeless?
If you do not have a suitable place to live, the Housing Executive may be able to help.
Who can get help?
To qualify for support, you must pass four tests:
1. Eligibility
You must be allowed to receive help under Northern Ireland’s rules.
2. Homelessness
You must have nowhere suitable to live.
3. Priority need
You must be in a situation that makes you more vulnerable than others.
4. Intentionality
You must not have lost your home on purpose.
Am I eligible?
You may not be eligible if:
- you are from outside Northern Ireland and do not meet immigration rules
- you have been involved in anti-social behaviour
We will check these factors before offering help.
Am I homeless?
You may be homeless if:
- you are afraid to go home due to abuse
- you have been told to leave by friends or family
- you cannot live with family members who should be with you
- you have been evicted
- a court has ordered you to leave your home
- you live in a caravan or boat but have nowhere legal to stay
Will I become homeless soon?
You may need help if you will lose your home within 28 days because:
- your landlord is evicting you
- your home is about to be repossessed
- your friends or family have told you to leave.
Are you at risk of homelessness?
Financial, health and well-being problems can make homelessness more likely.
If you think you are at risk of homelessness, get help as soon as possible.
The earlier you get support and advice, the better your chances of avoiding homelessness.
For more information please visit:
Am I in priority need?
You may be in priority need if:
- you have children under 16 (or under 19 in full-time education)
- you or a household member is pregnant
- you or a family member is elderly, disabled, or has mental health issues
- you became homeless due to a fire, flood, or other disaster
- you are at risk of abuse at home
- you are a young person at risk of exploitation
Am I intentionally homeless?
You may not get help if you lost your home on purpose.
However, you are not at fault if:
- it was unsafe to stay in your last home
- you left due to domestic abuse
- you could not afford rent or mortgage payments due to problems beyond your control
- your home came with a job you lost through no fault of your own
- you did not know your legal rights, such as a landlord needing a court order to evict you
For more details, read our leaflet Homelessness explained:
What happens next?
Once we have your information, we will carry out an assessment to decide what help we can offer.
If you pass all four tests you will be a Full Duty Applicant (FDA). This means:
- you will get 70 homeless points
- you are entitled to permanent housing
- you can get temporary accommodation while you wait for permanent housing
You can read more in our sections:
If you do not pass all four tests, we will send you a letter explaining our decision.
If you do not agree with our decision, you can ask for a review. Read more in our section:
Important information
It is against the law to:
- give false information in your housing application
- hide important facts about your situation
If you break this law, you could be fined up to £1,000 under the Housing (NI) Order 1988.
Watch our video: