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?
Health and well-being problems can make homelessness more likely.
Our leaflet Am I at risk of becoming homeless? explains the risks and how to get help.
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: