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Housing Options Advisor

Morden

Job Role

To interview and assess homeless people.

To prevent homelessness by promoting housing options.

To determine whether applicants are owed a statutory duty under the 1996 Housing Act, Part 7 as amended.

Key Responsibilities

To interview customers, to assess whether homelessness can be prevented in any way.

To assess whether those who are threatened with homelessness qualify for private sector options, based on the likelihood of their meeting the criteria for the full housing duty under the Housing Act Part 7 as amended.

To explain housing options clearly and lawfully to qualifying customers and to promote the idea, to interest as many customers as possible.

To investigate homelessness applications to recommend whether a statutory duty is owed to the applicant under the supervision of the senior officer

To interview applicants and take detailed statements concerning their eligibility, priority need, homelessness, intentional homelessness and local connection.

To make detailed enquiries to outside agencies and authorities in order to verify and obtain further information about the above and to investigate the applicants statement. To prevent fraud and protect resources.

To gather information to help decide whether the council has a statutory duty to protect an applicant's personal property. To discuss with the temporary accommodation and floating support officer if this is to be done.

To assess prima facie non-priority cases under the Housing Act 1996 Part 7 as amended, to issue statutory decision letters in these cases and to offer advice and assistance to enable this group to seek their own housing.

Person Requirement

To have a knowledge of relevant current legislation and case law, including the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, the Housing Acts of 1985, 1988, 1996 and 2004.

Good understanding of the Housing Act Part 7, as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002 and the ability to assess applications under this act