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Tenants’magazine
Spring 2019
Inside this issue
Name Game...Name this magazine and youcould win Asda vouchers - p2
A Day in the Life...of Paul Whitehouse,Tenancy Officer, on histravels to Wareham andback - p5
UC explainedUpdate onUniversal Credit,benefits andoptions- p6-7
The magazine by and for BCHA customers
2 BCHA Newsletter Spring 2019
Name your magazine and youcould win a £30 Asda voucherWe are pleased to publish ourfirst BCHA/Tenants HousingMagazine, which was producedby the Editorial Panel made up ofofficers and tenants.
We hope you enjoy the magazineand its variety of articles. Wewould love to hear from you onwhat you enjoyed about thismagazine, as well as what youweren’t so interested in.
One thing we need to do isofficially name the magazine. Wehave a shortlist of three nameswhich the Editorial Panel cameup with – and we’d like you tochoose which one our magazinewill be called.
The choices are:
1. Tenant Talk
2. Open Door
3. Our Way
To enter all you have to do is callour Customer Services Team on01202 410500 or [email protected] with yourvote.
The closing date for votes isThursday 18th April 2019.
The winner of the £30 AsdaVoucher will be selected atrandom from everyone whoenters. The winner will becontacted by BCHA and will beannounced in the Summeredition of the magazine, alongwith its new name.
We look forward to hearing fromyou, so…GET VOTING!
ContentsThis edition was brought to you by the Editorial Panel (made up of
residents & staff). We hope you enjoy the magazine and we will providean article on the editiorial panel in the Summer Edition.
3Bchangemakers; CEO MartinHancock’s column
4How to pay your rent and whyyou should pay in advance
5A day in the life of ... PaulWhitehouse, Tenancy Officer
6-7Universal Credit explained
8Could you be a DigitalChampion? Ignite project burns
bright; tenancy fraud unveiled
9Spring into action in the garden;Ask the expert - your questions
answered
10Understanding your rentstatement
11Check it out; Cooking on abudget recipe
12Useful contacts
8 9 11
3
Thank you for taking the time to readthis first edition of our relaunchednewsletter, which we hope you’ll findinformative and helpful.
One of our key aims this year is tohear more from you, so please get intouch to tell us:
l How you like to engage with uswhen there’s something you wantto say;
l How you like us to communicatewith you when there’s somethingwe want to say;
l What do you think we can dobetter?
We ran a couple of customerworkshops in December 2018, so Ihope you’ll join us in 2019 as wediscuss ways of improving ourservice and locations.
Please also pass on any tips whichyou have for other tenants so thatwe can share these in futurenewsletters.
As part of BCHA’s 50th anniversary,we’re looking to celebrateBchangemakers in our communities,so I hope you’ll nominate a fellowtenant whom you feel deserves to berecognised for what they are doingto improve the area where you live.
Thank you for your valuablefeedback over a whole range ofissues: please keep thosecomments coming!
Martin Hancock,CEO of BCHA
Bchangemakers –marking 50 years ofhuman achievementand compassionIt is 50 years since BCHAwas formed and to celebrateour amazing anniversary, thework of our committed staffand the huge personalachievements of ourcustomers, we have beenbringing together our localcommunity, companies,partners and supporters in anew campaign –Bchangemakers.
Bchangemaker stories reflectback on lives we have helpedtransform over the past 50 yearsand look forward to the new,exciting projects which willenable us to continue to offerthe wide range of services weprovide.
Bchangemakers include formerserviceman Bill, who after beingevicted from a Kent cave wherehe had made a home, walked allthe way to Bournemouth.
Bill made contact with BCHAand also sold the Big Issue. Butit was his sheer strength ofcharacter – and knowledge ofbrewing – which secured him ajob as a tour guide in a brewery.He is now thriving, has his ownplace and is fully self-sufficient.
Bchangemaker Stewart Aubertis a Support Worker with BCHAat Plymouth TemporaryAccommodation and OutreachService. Stewart has helpedmany people start to rebuildshattered lives, including ayoung woman called Kylie, whohad a history of mental healthissues and suicide attempts.
Supporting her during her timein BCHA supported housing,Stewart helped Kylie getassessed by her GP and herself-harming stopped. Stewartrecalls with emotion the dayKylie handed him her razorblades and said she no longerneeded them. She nowvolunteers and lives happily andindependently in a shared house.
Many more stories like this canbe found at:http://bchangemakers.org.uk
We are pleased to announceour Bchangemaker awards inMay 2019. We have an awardfor our residents to beeligible for:
Inspiring Customer Award:This is an award for customerswho have worked to bring aboutpositive change in their building,environment or community. AllBchangemakers customerstories are automatically enteredinto this category.
There will be a prize which willbe announced nearer the timeand the shortlisted residents willbe invited to the event.
Please [email protected] your nomination by 12th April.
DIRECT DEBITDirect debitpayments can bepaid weekly,fortnightly, fourweekly or monthly. If
your bank/building societyaccount is in a sole name contactyour Income Officer or CustomerServices Advisor who can set upyour direct debit over the phone.Joint account holders will requirea form to be completed.
DEBIT CARDBCHA can acceptyour payment usingyour debit card overthe phone.
ALLPAY CARDThe Allpay Card is aplastic swipe cardwhich allows you to
pay your rent at a Post Office orany PayPoint outlet with cash ordebit card.
BY POSTSend your cheque(made payable toBCHA) quoting yourname and addresson the back to BCHA
Head Office at St. SwithunsHouse, 21 Christchurch Road,Bournemouth, BH1 3NS.
INTERNET BANKING– DIRECT PAYMENTS
You will requireBCHA’s bankaccount and sortcode along with yourrent account number.
Once you have entered BCHA’sdetails into your online bankingsystem you can make direct
payments to us, whenever youchoose, by going Online.
STANDING ORDERSWe have a form foryou to fill in and passto your Bank/Building Society sothat they can pay us
the same amount on the sameday every week, fortnight, fourweeks or monthly. The paymentsshould quote your rent accountnumber and property code sothat we know who has made thepayment. You will need toinstruct your Bank if your rent orany benefit entitlement changes.
4 BCHA Newsletter Spring 2019
Paying your rent in advanceUnder the terms of your tenancy
your rent is payable in advance,
whether you pay weekly,
fortnightly or monthly – eg, if
you pay weekly, your rent should
be a week in advance, if you pay
monthly, it should be a month in
advance.
Your account should remain in
credit throughout your payment
cycle.
If you are in receipt of Housing
Benefit or Universal Credit, which
is paid in arrears, it is important for
you to know that this does not
mean you can ignore paying your
rent in advance. You are still
responsible for your rent account.
If you do not know if your accountis paid in advance, please contactyour Income Officer. If necessary,a payment plan based on yourown circumstances can be set upfor you to make regular paymentsuntil your account is paid inadvance. Various methods ofpayments are available (see panelbelow).
The benefits of your account beingpaid in advance are:
l If your circumstances suddenlychange you are at less likely toface legal action
l If you wish to move or exchangeyour property having credit onyour account works in yourfavour
l For those receiving housingbenefit, it is essential that youraccount is in credit when youchange to Universal Credit.Universal Credit rent paymentsare paid six to eight weeks inarrears, putting tenants at highrisk of legal action to recover thedebt. Being in creditsubstantially lessens the risk ofaction being taken against you.
l If you decide to move and giveBCHA your Notice to Quit yourrent will be paid up till the pointyour tenancy ends.
Don’t forget we are here to helpyou, so don’t hesitate to pick upthe phone and call if you areexperiencing financial difficulties.
How to pay your rent
For further information orassistance, please contactyour Income Officer or ourCustomer Services Team(Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm)on 01202 410500.
5
8.15am Arrive at St Swithuns House
(Bournemouth Head Office). Switchon pc and grab a coffee.
8.25am Catch up andrespond to any
outstanding emails from yesterday.Raise orders arising from yesterday’sproperty inspections.
9.15am Preparation workfor the day’s
meeting / visits.
10.15am I meet withpolice at The
Boscombe Hub to discuss policereports about three tenants at one ofthe BCHA blocks. I had obtaineddetailed reports from the DorsetPolice Intelligence Bureau using our‘information sharing protocol’,deciding on a joint approach indealing with any concerns and takingseveral things into consideration. Thisincluded if there was any imminentdanger to anyone, the safety andwelfare of other tenants at the blockand the person themselves andwhether there was a breach oftenancy. It was agreed that we wouldjointly monitor person 1 and send aletter to person 2. It was decided thatthe appropriate action for person 3was to serve a warning letterregarding their behaviour and breachof tenancy. We carried out a joint visitto the property and hand deliveredthe letter to the person, warning themof the consequences of theirbehaviour.
12.15pm Arrived back atthe office and
responded to emails and phone calls.One in particular concerned a callfrom an occupier at a block whoadvised me that the fire officer hadvisited and was unhappy thatnumerous bicycles had accumulatedin the underground car park which heconsidered to be an urgent fire risk. Iagree that I would write to alloccupiers, giving them 14 days tolabel any bicycles they own and thatafter that, the rest would be removed.He was very happy with my responseand three weeks later we removedmore than 20 unclaimed cycles whichwere placed into storage for 28 days.
12.35pm Quicksandwich and
a coffee before starting again.
12.50pm Travel toWareham for a
viewing/ sign up.
1.55pm On arrival at theproperty I
checked to ensure that the voidsteam had left the property clean andtidy and had completed any identifiedrepairs. I then completed aninventory, detailing the condition ofthe property and its fixtures andfittings. This inventory is then agreedwith the new tenant at sign-up andforms part of the tenancy pack.
2.25pm The new tenantarrived and I
showed them around the propertyand explained how their heating andgas boiler works, where they can findthings like their water stop cock andtheir gas and electric meters. I alsoexplain the methods for paying theirrent and answer any questions theymay have about the property, theirtenancy or BCHA. We then gothrough the paperwork in detail,highlighting tenants’ responsibilities,before completing and signing all thepaperwork. I hand over the keys andwish them luck in their new home.
3.25pm I complete threeproperty
inspections in the same block. Icheck that the tenant is generallylooking after the property and checkevery room. I discuss if there are anyoutstanding repairs that BCHA areresponsible for and also identify anyrepairs that are the tenant'sresponsibility. Before leaving I confirmto the tenants what repairs I will raiseon my return to the office and whatworks, if any, I require them to do andwill agree a follow-up appointmentdate where necessary. I also answerany general queries the tenant mayhave. I then complete the blockinspection. I am mostly looking forhealth and safety issues and to makesure that the communal areas areclean, tidy and safe. This will includechecking that fire alarm tests arebeing completed, that cleaners andgardeners are visiting as scheduledand are carrying out their duties to agood standard. I will also check thatfire exits and corridors are clear fromobstructions and look for anydamaged electrical equipment suchas lighting and sockets.
4.35pm Arrive back at StSwithuns House.
Update manager on police liaisonmeeting and discuss actions required.
5pm Catch up with urgentemails and phone calls
5.10pm Finish work for theday and head off
to the gym.
A day in the life...of Paul Whitehouse, Tenancy Officer
His role includes accompanyingnew tenants to house viewingsand signing them up, inspectingblocks of flats and individualhomes to make sure they are ingood repair, visiting clients whoare ending their tenancy, dealingwith nuisance and anti socialbehaviour and investigatinghousing fraud
Are you claiming SevereDisability Premium? Then you may not have to claim Universal Credit yet
If you are currently in receipt ofSevere Disability Premium, youwill not have to claim UniversalCredit until approximately 2023.
It is anticipated that then,everyone will be moved over toUniversal Credit.
At this point, everyone claimingSevere Disability Premium willreceive what is known as‘'transitional protection’, which
protects the premium paymentfor a period of time.
If you were moved on toUniversal Credit prior to 16th January 2019 you wouldhave lost your Severe DisabilityPremium. The Government is inthe process of completing draftregulations to re-pay thepremium and to back-datepayments to these claimants,
although this may not providecompensation covering thewhole amount.
However, we do not yet knowwhen this will become available,as the Regulations still need tobe passed by Parliament.
If you are unsure aboutanything, please contact yourIncome Recovery & FinancialInclusion Officer.
Universal Credit explained – your benefits and op
New UC claims for families with 3+ childrenHaving three or more children nolonger prevents someone from beingable to claim Universal Credit.
This ‘condition’ was removed from 1st February 2019, meaning anyonewith three or more dependentchildren/young persons – whosecircumstances trigger the need forthem to have to claim UC – will beable to do so.
Remember the Benefit CapUnder the existing benefit rules, theBenefit Cap can only reduce yourHousing Benefit award.
But under Universal Credit because itis just one benefit, the whole of yourUniversal Credit award can bereduced – meaning the total amountof Income Support, Job SeekersAllowance, Employment SupportAllowance, Tax Credits and ChildBenefit you would have been entitledto can be reduced.
tions
‘Offline’ UC claims available for those who cannot manage online
We all know that thegovernment’s expectation isthat claims for UniversalCredit will be made online.
However, the Department forWork and Pensions (DWP) hasincreasingly recognised thatsome claimants will never beable to manage an onlineclaim.
They have thereforeintroduced an ‘offline’ system,available in exceptionalcircumstances to someclaimants.
This offline system wouldinvolve not just making theclaim over the phone, butwould also mean the claimant
then manages their claim
‘offline’ too – with no access
to their journal – and will be
able to report changes to the
DWP by phone or letter, while
DWP notifications will be sent
to them by post.
If you can justify to the DWP
that you are unable to make
an online claim or manage an
online account, then call the
Universal Credit Helpline
number 0800 328 5644 to
explain this and request an
'offline' claim.
However, not being able to
use or have access to a
computer is not enough to
justify this request.
Rent changes April 2019
PLEASE REMEMBER: if you
receive UNIVERSAL CREDIT it
is your responsibility to inform
the DWP via your online
journal of any changes to
your rent.
DWP will not accept
information from BCHA
regarding your rent. You will
receive a notification of
changes to your rent account
at the end of February, which
will apply from the first week
of April. If you do not update
your journal you may not
receive enough money to pay
your rent. You will then be
responsible for any shortfall.
Benefit Cap Amount (outside London)l £384.62 per week (£20,000 a year) if you’re in a couple
l £384.62 per week (£20,000 a year) if you’re a singleparent and your children live with you
l £257.69 per week (£13,400 a year) for a single adult
8 BCHA Newsletter Spring 2019
BCHA are looking for tenants tovolunteer as Digital Champions andhelp those who do not have good ITskills to manage their pc, laptop,iPad, tablet or smartphone.
Our volunteer Digital Champions willmeet with people at local libraries andshow them the basics.
They are BCHA tenants, who areconfident about using computers and they show people how they
can be used in everyday life.
There is a lot of help available locally
to teach people digital skills. Many
forms nowadays have to be done
online and you could be a great
benefit to tenants who need that help.
If you are interested in becoming
a digital champion please email
[email protected] to express
your interest.
BCHA has successfullyregained possession of alovely three-bed house afterdiscovering that the tenantwas sub-letting.
The Tenancy Officer receivedinformation that the tenantwas not living at the propertyand investigation showedthe tenant owned a property.
At a visit by the HousingManager and the TenancyOfficer the tenant admittedthey owned a property theywere renting out.
The tenant was advised thatthey were committingtenancy fraud and asked togive the property back toBCHA to avoid a courthearing. BCHA has now letthis lovely house to a familywho are in housing need.
If you have any suspicionsthat a BCHA property isbeing sub-let or that thetenant has abandoned theproperty, please contactyour Tenancy Officer. Allinformation received will betreated in confidence.
Fraud unveiledCould you
be a DigitalChampionfor fellowtenants?
Ignite – BCHA’s initiativeaimed at giving peoplethe self-belief and skillsto get back to work –has now supportedmore than 2,000 people.
Ignite has run freecourses at St SwithunsHouse in Bournemouthsince 2010.
The six-weekprogramme, focusing onself-development andwell-being, is availableto anyone over 19 who
is unemployed or aboutto lose their job.
The results speak forthemselves, with 97 percent of learnersreporting an increase inmotivation, 88 per centan increase inconfidence and 85 per
cent achieving aqualification.
More than 100 learnershave also foundemployment or avoluntary role.
Ignite Project ManagerJamie Clarke said: “I amheartened that we havebeen able to help a greatmany of our customersto develop new skills,meet challenges andseize opportunities.”
Ignite courses includeStress and AnxietyManagement, Steps toChange, BuildingResilience, Art as
Relaxation, MoneySkills, Confidence andSelf-Esteem Building,Assertiveness andEmotional and PhysicalWell-being.
Ignite also offers a rangeof qualifications whichinclude Skills for Work,Level 1 Horticulture,Digital Life Skills, Level 1IT user skills, Level 1Skills for SupportingOthers.
To find out more call theteam on 01202 410595,[email protected] visit www.bcha.org.uk
Light upyour life
The Ignite team
It’s that wonderful time of yearagain when the weather is milderand the harshness of winter isfinally behind us.
This is also the time of year whengardens need a makeover readyfor summer and here are sometips on what to do and when.
AprilLook out for daffodils, tulips,peonies, freesia and blossomtrees when you are out andabout – the colours aremagnificent.
There may still be sunshine andshowers, but if you’ve plantedseeds they should be sproutingand it’s time to get themoutdoors.
Start weeding your patch whilethe annual weeds are still young.Tie in rambling roses andgenerally tidy up that garden.
If you don’t have a garden don’tworry. You can still plant lovelybulbs and plants in pots andcontainers.
You can even turn your hand togrowing your own potatoes. Justput them in a deep container, lineit with potting compost and plantthe seed potatoes.
As the potatoes sprout morestems keep covering them withcompost and eventually you willhave a lovelytub
of home grown potatoes. If youfeel potatoes are tooadventurous, why not just plantsome herb seeds and grow yourown herb garden? You can dothis on your window sill in the kitchen. If you have plantedpotatoes or herbs let us knowhow you got on.
Spring into action!
Q. My neighbours make lots of noise shouting, slamming doors and playingloud music. Is there anything you can do?A. Yes, there’s lots we can do. We won’ttolerate anti social behaviour, so please contact your Tenancy Officer in the
first instance.
Q. My ex-boyfriend punched ahole in my living room door andBCHA are trying to charge me to
repair it. Can they do this?A. Yes, we can charge tenants torepair any damage they cause.
Q. I want to move to a biggerproperty. What do I do?
A. You can apply to MutuallyExchange to a larger property or youshould contact the Council and go on
the waiting list.Q. My Income Officer says I didn’t
work out my monthly rent properly as Imultiplied my weekly rent by four.
Is this right?A. No, to calculate your monthly rent we multiplyyour weekly rent by 52 weeks and divide it by
12 months. Calendar months are not always four weeks long.
Q. I’ve received a Notice of Seeking Possession. Does this mean
I’m being evicted?A. No. The Notice is only the first stageof a legal process. The only time you willbe evicted is when a Bailiff comes to
your property.
Ask the expert...
9
10 BCHA Newsletter Spring 2019
One of the commonly askedquestions to our Income RecoveryTeam is: “I don’t understand myrent statement, can you explain it?”
Here is a simple guide to help youunderstand your rent statement.
l At the top of the rent statementyou will see the BCHA addressand contact number.
l On the right hand side is yourname, address and tenancyreference number, which isspecific to you and your property.It is required when you pay yourrent as this allows your paymentsto be correctly allocated to yourrent account, which reduces anydelay in payments to youraccount.
l On the left hand side will be thedate the rent statement goes upto. If any payments are madewithin the current week e.g. weekcommencing 18/03/2019 then thiswill appear on your next rentstatement.
l The main part of your rentstatement is made up of chargesand any payments received. Thereare six columns that make up therent statement. If an amount hasbeen paid into your account, it willshow CR after the payment andany charges will show as DR.
l The first two columns show thedate and description of thecharge/payment. The date shownis the date that the charge hasbeen applied or the paymentreceived. The description informsyou what the amount in thatcurrent row relates to.
l The next column is the debit,which shows any rent-related
charges that have been added toyour account – for example, theweekly/monthly rent/servicecharge. The rent/service chargewill always show in the descriptioncolumn as Total Charge.
l The fourth column is HB, whichshows any money received orreturned to Housing Benefit orUniversal Credit, if you have analternative payment arrangement.
l The fifth column shows otherpayments usually received orreturned to the tenant.
l The last column is the balance,which shows a running total ofyour rent account. This will showwhether you are in credit (CR) or inarrears (DR).
If you have any questionsregarding your rent please don’tdelay in contacting us. The nameof your Income Recovery Officer isshown on the top front page ofyour rent statement.
Understandingyour rent statement
Tenant Responsibility
• Pay rent on time, weekly in advance
• Live in the property as your sole and principal home
• Allow BCHA officers into your home to undertakecompliance checks, property inspections or repairs
• Get BCHA’s written consent before carrying out anyimprovements or altering the property you live in
• Keep the interior of the property clean and well decorated
• Help keep the communal areas (halls, landings and stairs,etc) in a clean and tidy condition if you live in a flat ormaisonette
• Ventilate and heat the home adequately and follow anyadvice given by BCHA to prevent condensation
• Let BCHA know straight away of any disrepair, defects,blocked drains or unsafe or unhealthy conditions in theproperty or any communal areas which might be ourresponsibility to put right
• Not interfere or allow anyone else to interfere with anyproperty belonging to a supplier of gas, electricity, water,
telephone, cable television or other services
• Regularly test and keep any smoke alarm we haveprovided in good working order and replace batteries asand when necessary
• You are responsible for the behaviour of all persons andanimals living in or visiting the property
Landlord Responsibility
• Undertake an annual tenancy audit.
• Ensure BCHA responsible repairs are carried out
• Take action against any tenant causing nuisance or anti-social behaviour
• Undertake monthly block inspections
• Undertake property inspections twice a year
• Ensure your home is compliant with all fire and health &safety matters
• Provide a tenancy management service
• Provide an income recovery and financial inclusion service
THE DOs AND DON’Ts OF YOUR TENANCY AGREEMENTYour Tenancy Agreement is a legal contract which every tenant signs up to. It sets out ourduties as your landlord and your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. So here are somebasic conditions of your tenancy.
11
It can be very difficult cooking healthy meals on a budget - but here’s a family favourite for less than £1 per head.
Sausage and Potato CasseroleIngredients:
1tbsp oil (Store cupboard item)
500g new potatoes, halved (72p)
454g pack sausages (8-pack Value - 50p)
1 onion, sliced, 200g (17p)
1 green pepper, diced, 170g (80p)
340g jar tomato pasta sauce (Value, 33p)
Method:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the potatoes andsausages for 5 mins. Add the onion and pepper and cook for afurther 5 mins, turning the sausages occasionally untilbrowned. Add the pasta sauce, rinse the jar out with a splashof water and add to the pan. Cook for 25 minutes.
If you try this recipe, please let us know how it turned out. If youhave a healthy recipe you’d like to share, please send it in toRecipe Ideas, BCHA, St Swithuns House, 21 Christchurch Road,Bournemouth BH1 3NS
Cooking on a shoestring
We recently held two events where weinvited tenants to discuss what mattered tothem and how we at BCHA can worktogether to improve our services.
The forums were very successful, with greatfeedback from tenants. One of the thingscustomers wanted was bettercommunications from BCHA. So we hopethis magazine will be a good start in lettingyou know what’s going on at BCHA as wellas important updates about other housingmatters which may affect you.
We are aiming to tailor our customerengagement service to concentrate on areaswhich affect you. This can be in the form ofservice reviews or writing and reviewingexisting policies. We have ideas for a wholerange of ways you can be involved to helpus shape the services we deliver to you. Forexample, would you like to attend ‘BlockInspections’ with a Tenancy Officer? You cango along to help ensure our blocks are being
maintained or perhaps you would like to join
the magazine’s editorial panel to help write
and decide the content of each magazine?
Maybe you’d prefer to help us review
policies, which may be of interest to you?
We are looking to engage our customers in
ways which suit you and we will tailor our
services to accommodate this. Some
customers may wish to be involved with anti
social behaviour issues, while others may
prefer to be involved with repairs and
maintenance. If you would like to come on
board and work with us to improve services
please email your particular area of interest
We will be looking at evolving our Customer
Engagement remit over the next few months
so please keep reading our magazine for
further information or call Pauline Lewis
(Housing & Customer Services Manager) on
01202 410642 for more information.
Helping us to help you
Useful contacts and information
Maintenance enquiries: New Leaf 0300 1234 001 [email protected]@newleafcompany.com
BCHA Customer Services 01202 410 500 [email protected]
Mental Health Floating Support 01202 612 600 [email protected]
Generic Floating Support 01202 451 458
National Citizen Service 01202 410 550 [email protected]
New Directions 01202 410 635 [email protected]
Ignite 01202 410 595 [email protected]
Dorset Police Emergency 999 non-emergency 101
Homelessness Contact your local authority for advice
Shelter 0808 800 4444 Shelter.org.uk
Rough Sleeping Help Line 01202 315 962
Salvation Army 01202 309 803 www.salvationarmy.org.uk
National 24-hour DomesticViolence Helpline
0808 2000 247 www.nationaldomesticviolencehelpline.org.uk
Each local authority will hold their own housing register for houses within their area,
operating a choice-based lettings system for these homes:
Area Citizens Advice Bureau Local Authorities Housing Options
Dorset
Bournemouth,
Christchurch &
Poole
Portsmouth
Hampshire
citizensadvicedorset.org.uk
www.citizensadvicebcp.org.uk
call: 01202 290 967
caportsmouth.org.uk
call: 023 9285 5855
www.citahants.org
call: 034 4411 1306
Dorset County Council –
01305 251 000
Bournemouth Borough –
Council 01202 451 451
Borough of Poole Council –
01202 633 633
Portsmouth City Council –
023 9282 2251
Hampshire County Council
– 0300 555 1375
www.homechoice.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/
DorsetHomeChoice/
Bournemouth Council –
01202 451 467
Borough of Poole – 01202 633 804
023 9283 4989
