Housing Services
Homelessness
The SmartMove team provide advice and assistance to single people or couples without children or not pregnant, who are homeless, threatened with homelessness or vulnerably housed.
We can help with:
- Accessing emergency accommodation – including hostels and bed & breakfast
- Identifying and applying to suitable housing providers
- Finding suitable private sector accommodation
- Providing private landlords with a guarantee bond in place of a traditional cash deposit
- Advice on your rights and responsibilities in housing
- Moving & settling into accommodation
- Ongoing support to sustain the tenancy
- Advice and assistance to landlords
SmartMove drop in times are 9.30am – 1.30pm on Mondays and Wednesdays
at the Old Glove Factory, 13a Lowesmoor - no appointment necessary.
Office Hours are Monday – Friday between 9.30am and 5.00pm - we are available during these times if help is required in an emergency situation or if you are unable to access drop in.
We also provide the SmartMove DGS for Substance Misusers in Worcester City & Worcestershire (via referral from substance misuse agencies) and Offenders in Worcester City & Worcestershire (via referral from Probation) – appointments are available at these organisations offices. Please contact the SmartMove team on 01905 721897 or e-mail for further information on the services that we provide.
Floating Housing Support
We help vulnerable or disadvantaged people in the community to live independently by
- Accessing homelessness prevention options.
- Registering you for and helping you to find suitable accommodation.
- Helping to set up a new tenancy and manage moving into the new home
- Helping you to maintain an existing home and live independently.
We do this:
- By providing a designated Housing Support Worker, usually at your home, even if you move.
- Through a planned programme of support which is reviewed regularly
- Supporting you on a weekly basis according to your needs. This can last from weeks to months.
We can help you:
- Develop life, social and domestic skills
- Support with literacy
- Money management.
We will liaise with voluntary and statutory organisations and help to access other services for you. We do not provide personal care.
Referrals are accepted from other agencies but you can also approach us directly.
Worcester Community Housing
We have Welfare Benefit Adviser specifically to help you if you are a tenant of Worcester Community Housing. Home visits can be arranged.
Landlords
Letting Scheme
- Eligible tenants will already be registered with our Smartmove Scheme
- Bonds must be linked to a six month assured short hold tenancy
- Bond renewal offered
- Maximum value of bond £500
- Bonds also considered for rooms in shared houses
- We encourage tenants to save for their own cash deposit
We can help with
- Finding suitable tenants for your vacancies
- Providing you with a guarantee bond instead of the traditional cash deposit – so no need to use the Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme
- Moving & settling in tenants
- Help completing Housing Benefit applications if required
- Ongoing support to tenants to help them sustain the tenancy if required
Other help for Landlords
- Opportunity to let your property quickly free of charge – we have clients waiting for suitable housing
- Free inspection of your property and advice on property safety
- Free inventory of your property
- Free tenancy agreements for landlords signed up on our scheme
- Free advice and information on tenancy matters
- Advice on landlord responsibilities
We can act as mediators in case of disputes if required
Contact Us
Phone: 0844 4111 303*
Fax: 01905 23354
*(Calls from BT landlines are charged at 5p per minute, calls from cable and other networks may be charged at a higher rate, calls from mobile phones will be directed to call an 0300 number which is charged at the network operators' standard rate)