Leaving prison and becoming homeless
If you have recently left prison and have nowhere to stay, support is available. Our housing options team can provide advice, help you explore your housing options, and work with you to prevent or relieve your homelessness.
When contacting us, we will want to know about your accommodation history, any time spent in custody, and any health issues. This helps us understand what support you may be entitled to.
How we can help
Our housing options ueam will talk to you about your situation and how we can support you.
We will aim to:
- give clear advice and assistance,
- help you prevent homelessness where possible
- work with you for up to 56 days to relieve your homelessness, including helping you find suitable accommodation.
As part of this, we will look at whether you:
- are eligible for help (most UK nationals and people with settled status are),
- are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and
- may need extra support because of your circumstances.
If we have a reason to believe you might be vulnerable or in priority need, we can provide temporary accommodation straight away while we make further enquiries.
Priority need for prison leavers
You may receive additional support if being homeless would put you at greater risk of harm.
This might apply if:
- you have health issues or disabilities,
- you have mental health needs or substance misuse issues,
- you have limited support networks
- you have difficulty finding or keeping accommodation.
Time spent in custody does not automatically make someone priority need, but it can be an important factor when we assess your situation.
Support from probation
If you are on probation or supervision, speak to your probation officer as soon as possible.
They may be able to help with:
- accommodation support,
- referrals to services,
- help finding safe temporary housing.
Probation support is especially important if you have just been released or are still serving a community or license requirement.
Local connection
A local connection is normally based on:
- living in the area,
- working in the area
- having close family here.
Time spent in prison here does not count as a local connection.
If you have no local connection anywhere, or you are fleeing domestic abuse, you can apply to any council for help.
Emergency and practical support
If you have nowhere safe to stay, you can contact Nottinghamshire Street Outreach on 0800 066 5356. They are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
They can visit rough sleepers, offer support and help with accessing accommodation.
You can also contact Shelter for housing advice on 0808 800 4444.
Our housing options team can also help you look for private rented accommodation, apply for Universal Credit, and access deposit support. Get in touch using the contact details at the bottom of this page.