Affordable Rent
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Social housing with a rent set at no more than 80% of the local market rent. Typically it is more expensive than Social Rent.
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AST
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Assured Shorthold Tenancy
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The most common form of tenancy offered by private landlords, letting agents and housing associations. It is usually for a fixed term of 6 or 12 months.
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B&B
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Bed & Breakfast
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A common form of Temporary Accommodation. Will often be a specialist service commissioned by local authorities.
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CAB
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Citizens Advice Bureau
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Free advice across a range of subjects. www.citizensadvice.org.uk
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Cohort Group
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Groupings of individuals who our research indicated were most likely to rough sleep if they did not receive help. Organised by different characteristics. See also Typology
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DHP
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Discretionary Housing Payments
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A DHP is an extra payment to help people who claim housing benefit and are struggling to pay rent. A local authority may award a DHP if, for example, someone is affected by the bedroom tax.
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DV |
Domestic Violence |
An incident or pattern of incidence of controlling, threatening, coercive, violent behaviour, usually experienced by women and perpetrated by men. Also known as Domestic Abuse. www.refuge.org.uk |
DWP
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Department for Work and Pensions
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The government department responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy, including the rollout and management of Universal Credit.
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Excluded Licence
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Also known as a Licence Agreement. This is a type of tenancy that gives the lodger less protection from eviction. Its use increasingly common in shared accommodation, especially in London. Eviction can usually take place with only one to two weeks’ notice. See also: AST
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ESA
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Employment and Support Allowance
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A benefit for people who are unable to work due to illness or disability, which replaces the former Incapacity Benefit. A Work Capability Assessment is required to claim ESA.
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GLA
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Greater London Authority
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The top administrative body for London which includes the Mayor's office and the London Assembly. Also devises strategies for homelessness and funds projects and services. www.london.gov.uk
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HB |
Housing Benefit |
A government benefit designed to help to pay housing costs for people on low incomes or other benefits. Eventually it will be replaced by Universal Credit. See also: UC |
Hidden homelessness
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Types of homelessness where someone is not likely to be recorded in official statistics, e.g. staying on a friend's sofa, sleeping in their car or office, squatting. See also: Sofa surfing
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Homeless
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The official definition is: "A person (or a family) who does not have access to a home they might otherwise be reasonably expected to occupy", but we know homelessness comes in many different forms. See also: Rough sleeping, Hidden homelessness, Sofa surfing
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Homelessness Duty
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The main homelessness duty applies to a Local Authority where they are satisfied that a person (or family) applying as homeless is eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless, and falls within one of the Priority Need groups. See also: Homelessness Reduction Act
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Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA)
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Legislation which came into force in April 2018. It requires Local Authorities to take steps to prevent someone’s homelessness for a period of up to 56 days, and if there is a Homelessness Duty owed, to also relieve their homelessness for a further 56 days. See also: Homelessness Duty
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Housing Options
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The local authority team responsible for receiving and assessing homelessness applications as well as informal approaches for advice.
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HPU
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Homeless Persons Unit
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A historic term used to describe the department at a local authority where the housing options service sits.
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Idea Stores
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Library facilities, adult learning and access to IT equipment in Tower Hamlets.
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ILR
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Indefinite Leave to Remain
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The right to seek work or education in the UK for someone admitted to the UK without any time limit. Does not include the right of abode.
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‘Imminent risk of rough sleeping’
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There is no fixed definition of what this means, however, for the NFNO project’s purposes, the caseworkers use their experience and judgement to determine if and how soon someone is likely to rough sleep. Imminent is likely to be between 'tonight' or a 'few days' away.
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‘Intentionally Homeless’
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A Local Authority can decide a person is intentionally homeless if they have lost their home because of something they have deliberately done, or failed to do, such as getting into rent arrears or being evicted due to antisocial behaviour.
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JSA
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Job Seekers Allowance
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An unemployment benefit that can be sought while someone seeks work.
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LHA
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Local Housing Allowance
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A way of calculating how much Housing Benefit someone can get to help pay the rent if they have a private landlord. See also: SAR
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Mediation
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A service offered by NFNO which provides a way for people to sort out their differences without anyone having to leave their home. It can involve family members, friends, neighbours or housemates.
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MHCLG
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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The government department responsible for housing and homelessness strategies and funding.
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MOU
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Memorandum of Understanding
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A joint commitment by members of the NFNO Partnership Group to work together to deliver homelessness prevention services to those that risk of rough sleeping for the first time.
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NFNO
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No First Night Out
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Homelessness prevention project operating in the City of London and Tower Hamlets and funded by the MHCLG.
(NFNO also operated in Hackney between 2016-2019)
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NLA
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National Landlords Association
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National organisation representing the interests of private landlords.
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NRPF
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No Recourse to Public Funds
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Someone with no right to claim housing or welfare benefits in UK and who will not usually be permitted to undertake work.
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NSNO
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No Second Night Out
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Assessment hubs accessed by outreach teams for new rough sleepers found in London.
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‘One-off or unusual life event’
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An event in a person’s life that often renders them unable to cope or organise their lives and which, subsequently, often leads to a person losing their home.
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Outreach
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Outreach teams typically go out at night and in the early mornings looking for people rough sleeping. Each London borough runs or commissions its own Outreach team, and some share services such as London Street Rescue.
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Partnership Group
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The group of organisations who have come together under No First Night Out’s Memorandum of Understanding, with a shared commitment to preventing homelessness.
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PIP
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Personal Independence Payment
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A benefit that helps with the extra costs of a long-term health condition or disability for people aged 16 to 64. Gradually replacing the former Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
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‘Priority need’
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Refers to an area of the Housing Act that helps local authorities decide if they should provide immediate assistance to alleviate homelessness. Based around five tests that are assessed by a housing officer in the Housing Options team.
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PRS
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Private rented sector
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For-profit, private sector housing not regulated by the Homes and Communities Agency. Managed by private landlords which includes buy-to-let and corporate landlords.
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‘Rapid response’
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The NFNO project is not an emergency response to rough sleeping and is better placed to intervene prior to someone becoming homeless. However, our caseworkers aim to respond to all referrals within 24 hours.
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Rough sleeping
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The most in-need category of homelessness. Means someone is actually sleeping on the streets or in a place not fit for habitation.
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SAR
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Shared Accommodation Rate
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The shared accommodation rate applies to most single people under the age of 35 renting from a private landlord. It does not apply if you are a council or housing association tenant. The maximum housing benefit you can get is calculated against the average rent for a single room in a shared house in your local area. See also: LHA
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Social Housing
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Housing belonging to and managed by a 'registered provider', otherwise known as social landlords (usually Local Authorities or housing associations), regulated by the Homes and Communities Agency.
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Social Rent
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Social housing with a rent set subject to guideline target rents, typically with reference to local rents and manual earnings.
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Sofa surfing
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Usually used to describe informal stays with family, friends or acquaintances, or tenancies where someone has no lawful rights but are allowed to stay for on a discretionary basis. These arrangements tend to fall through at very short notice and can often lead to rough sleeping.
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SPOC
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Single Point of Contact
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Someone who is delegated to respond to enquiries, helping to ensure continuity of service especially when working in partnership.
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Statutory Homelessness
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Homeless households who meet specific criteria of Priority Need, to whom a Homelessness Duty has been accepted by a Local Authority, or to whom Local Authorities have a statutory duty to provide assistance. See also: Homelessness Duty
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StreetLink
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Rapid response service for connecting rough sleepers with local services, such as Outreach teams. See: www.streetlink.org.uk
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Supported Accommodation / Supported Housing
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Temporary or permanent housing designed or designated for people who need support with everyday tasks to help them live in their home.
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TA
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Temporary accommodation
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A short term housing solution aimed at avoiding a rough sleeping event. This is often provided by a local authority, either directly or through an agency acting on their behalf.
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Tenure
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The legal status under which people have the right to occupy their accommodation. Common forms of tenure include social rented housing, private rented housing, and home ownership.
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Typology
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The product of research carried out before the project commenced into the causes of rough sleeping. The typology helps NFNO aim our interventions in the right places by seeking out the most appropriate referral partners. See also: Cohort Group
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UC
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Universal Credit
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Welfare benefits system which replaces several existing benefits, including Housing Benefit currently being rolled out across the UK. See also: DWP
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