Homelessness advice

If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness, please contact our Housing Options team. 

• Email: Housingoptions@wycombe.gov.uk
• Phone: 01494 421 212
• In person: Wycombe District Council, Queen Victoria Road, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP11 1BB.

Office hours:

• 8.45am to 5.15pm Monday to Thursday
• 8.45am to 4.45pm on Friday

We can offer support and help whether you're homeless or worried about becoming homeless. 

How we can help

Our housing options team can help you:

• assess your current housing situation and work out your needs
• if you are worried that you might become homeless, we can give you advice on the next steps
• make a housing plan so you can work towards the next steps to find a home
• find further advice from other agencies

Help with finances

Our team may be able to help you:

• with a one-off payment to assist with housing costs
• resolve rent arrears to stop you being evicted by your landlord

We can provide advice on:

• changes to benefits as Universal Credit, the Bedroom Tax, benefit cap or local housing allowance
• budgeting and managing your money at home
• employment problems and job seeking
• getting a smaller, more financially manageable home

Help for private renters

We can

• help if you are being harassed or threatened by your landlord, or if you have been locked out of your home, evicted or if the rent is being increased
• visit you at home and work with you and anyone who might try to make you homeless, to resolve your housing problems

Finding a home

We can help you:

• with your Bucks Home Choice application (for social housing).
• explain the housing options available to you, including temporary accommodation or private housing
• request a reviewing of a housing decision 

Our legal obligations 

Preventing homelesssness

We have a legal duty to take steps to prevent homelessness: We have to help you if you at risk of losing suitable accommodation. This applies if you are threatened with homelessness within 56 days.

Relieving homelessness

We have a legal duty to take steps to relieve homelessness. We have a duty to help all those who are homeless to secure suitable accommodation, regardless of whether they are ‘intentionally homeless’ or in priority need.

Housing plans

We will with you agree a personalised housing plan to either prevent or relieve homelessness depending on the circumstances.

This plan will likely include steps you have agreed to take, such as negotiate with your parent or landlord if either are taking steps to evict you, or it may be that you will agree to try to find your own accommodation.

We will include steps that we have agreed to take, for example we may talk to your parent or landlord about trying to keep you in your current home if it’s suitable and safe to.