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Housing Advice & Homeless Prevention Officer
Uxbridge
Job Role
To be responsible for proactively delivering housing options advice, including security of tenure, low cost home ownership, preventing homelessness, investigating householder circumstances and undertaking statutory assessments in order to determine the best options and resources available on a case by case basis.
To ensure that potentially homeless clients are given advice and assistance including those in housing need to whom the Council has no legal obligation to provide emergency accommodation to claim housing and other welfare benefits available to them with the aim of preventing or delaying homelessness, including the use of discretionary hardship payments (DHP).
To assess and determine applications from homeless households within the terms of part VII of the Housing Act 1996.
To discharge the Council's statutory duty in investigating, assessing and determining applications from homeless households within the terms of part VII of the Housing Act 1996.
Be able to provide advice on a range of housing options, including low cost home ownership which promotes self-service, independence and prevents homelessness.
To manage case work using expertise, knowledge of legislation and well established networks and partnerships to move clients on from temporary accommodation into longer term suitable and sustainable accommodation which effectively fulfils the Councils statutory duties.
To ensure that suitable housing solutions are delivered to residents consistently. This includes reducing the use of temporary accommodation and developing creative solutions to achieve this, including consistent use of the Social Housing Allocations Policy and the Private Rented Sector (PRS).
To develop and maintain effective relationships with private sector landlords, local managing and lettings agents and owners of empty properties in order to secure use of privately rented properties for households in housing need in the Borough.
To engage with the Housing Register and Allocations Team, Adult Social Care and Children's Services to deliver a seamless service.
