Derbyshire Dales deposit assistance from Home-Options

The Home-Options team operates out of the Derbyshire Dales Town Office. Most of the support from the programme is in the form of referrals and signposting. But the advice is free, and it can help the homeless both find deposit schemes or locate social or private housing. So many forms of assistance may be obtained as part of Home-Options.

Anyone seeking accommodations has multiple choices. Both homes in the Private Rented Sector as well as social housing is covered. There are advantages to each of them. Also, both of these housing programmes can be hard to get because the demand for help is very high.

With many families on a low income waiting years for social housing in Derbyshire Dales, the Hope-Options Team can refer the person to private sector homes. This is available as the result of partnerships between the council and landlords. These can often be available in a shorter term time. But there are only so many landlords that partner with the council on offering these homes. So there are no guarantees to getting assistance in PRS either.

Many people have trouble in coming up with the damage deposit due for this private housing. Or they struggle with costs for electricity service. The Derbyshire Dales Home-Options team can help with this expense. The organisation can signpost the family to everything from a charity to local council’s schemes. They will tend to offer a bond to cover the deposit, but some of the charities will offer a loan for this expense.

Another benefit is that individuals will often find a greater selection of properties available in the private sector. The tenant agreements tend to also be shorter, such as 6 months. Some people, in particular youth, prefer this as it makes them more mobile. The end result is that private properties in the Derbyshire Dales can also be hard to get.

But the homes may come with a higher monthly rent payments. If the tenant has trouble in paying the rent for the accommodations, then they can get help in applying for Local Housing Allowance / Benefits from the Home-Options team. Also, the service can address other costs associated with renting a home, such as energy bills and related costs.

The Choice Based Lettings scheme for the Derbyshire Dales is also known as Home-Options. So this is where people can turn to for applications to social housing or government schemes, such as welfare. Note that there is still a shortage of properties available for the district.

As part of this process, they will need to “bid” on the home or flat that they want to rent. Note that some properties in Derbyshire Dales receive as many as 100 bids. So it can be very difficult in many cases to find a home. More information on how this process works can be received by calling the team at 01629 761117.

The Derbyshire Dales council will also assist the homeless or those threatened by it. Of particular focus will be on people in the district that are in priority need. What will make someone eligible will be if they are roofless, living in the street, or sofa surfing. There is even help for those families threatened with an eviction.

There are many programmes available for the homeless as part of Home-Options. First, the team will try to find temporary accommodations for the resident. While they try to find a shelter foe them over the short term, they have no legal duty to provide that for everyone. If the person is facing an eviction, or has electricity bills in arrears, then solutions such as DHP payment or programmes that offer assistance for energy bills will be reviewed.

Then, once the homeless person has talked to a social worker, they will explore the various deposit schemes as noted above. This will help the person come up with the money they need for the move in costs. If a Derbyshire Dales tenant is in a crisis, the team will offer them support as well. To learn more, drop in Town Hall, Bank Road in Matlock, or ring the Home-Options team at 01629 761 117.