Homelessness: advice and support

People become homeless for all sorts of reasons. If you are at risk of losing your home, can't stay where you are, or are worried that you will have to move out soon, we may be able to help you. We can give you advice and support around the options that may be available to you by clicking on the link below:

Aberdeen City Council Housing Advice Service

Below is a list of other help that might be useful:

Homelessness Out of Hours Helpline - 0800 917 6379.
This emergency service operates from 5pm to 8.30am Monday to Friday. During weekends and public holidays we provide a 24 hours service.
Housing Support and Resettlement Service
Shelter Scotland
Free food: Times and Places to Collect Free Food
Health: NHS Grampian - Marywell Health Centre
Drugs: Drugs Action
Housing/Debt: Civil Legal Assistance Office
Low cost furniture, carpets, etc: Instant Neighbour
Free help: furniture – Somebody Cares
Financial help: Grampian Credit Union or St Machar Credit Union - Credit Unions are a not-for-profit financial co-operative that is owned and controlled by its members. They can best be described as groups of people who save together and lend to each other at reasonable rates of interest, thus allowing each other the opportunity to gain greater control over their financial affairs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Council help me keep my home if I think I might lose it?

Yes, we want to prevent you becoming homeless. We will help you find out if there are ways for you to keep your home.

I am homeless and I have no place to store my furniture. Can the council help me with the cost of furniture removal and storage?

We can help you with the cost of furniture removal and storage if you cannot afford to pay for removal and storage yourself. Normally, we will arrange for the uplift and storage of your property using a private removal firm.

I have had to leave all my belongings in my old home and I am having to start again, is there any help I can get?

There are a number of organisations that we can make contact with to help you. These include local furniture supply and recycling projects. We will support you through this difficult time and give you advice about help you can get.

My partner has been violent towards me and I've had enough. Can the council help me?

Yes. Contact the Housing Advice Team immediately. We have a duty to help you if it is likely that staying in your home will lead to domestic violence being threatened or committed against you or someone living with you.

What do 'homeless' and 'threatened with homelessness' mean?

The laws about homelessness are very complicated but 'homeless' broadly means having no housing that is reasonable for you and the people who normally live with you, to carry on living in. You are 'threatened with homelessness' if you are likely to become homeless within the next 2 months, for example, if you have been taken to Court by your landlord and the Court has said you must leave your home within 2 months.

What should I do if I'm homeless or think I will become homeless?

If you have housing difficulties, wherever you are living at the time, contact the Housing Advice Team.

What is Housing Support?

Housing support is a service to help you maintain or set up your home and meet any duties or responsibilities you have as a householder. Housing support encourages you to live independently in your home and gets you access to the other services like a dentist or a doctor. Housing support can help you live independently, give you confidence and help you to do things for yourself.

When I contact the Housing Advice Team to talk about my situation, what sort of questions will I be asked?

We need to ask you a number of questions to understand how we can help you. You may be asked about your previous address(es), why you can't live there any more, how you came to be homeless, your family circumstances, whether you have any medical conditions, and so on. You may also be asked to provide financial information if, for example, you have lost housing as a result of mortgage or rent arrears.

I'm being evicted from my council property - what can I do?

Assuming you are being evicted due to non-payment of rent, you should contact your local Housing Office immediately and they will give you advice. You will normally have to pay at least half your outstanding rent to avoid being evicted. You should also contact the Housing Access Service who will give you advice about finding alternative accommodation.

Where can I access more information on housing and homelessness?

The Scottish Housing Regulator: Inspects and reports on Scottish housing and homelessness services
The House Key: Scottish directory of housing support services.
Aberdeen Cyrenians: Provides a range of services to meet the needs of homeless people.
Aberdeen Foyer: Works with young people aged 16 - 25 to help alleviate homelessness and unemployment.
Scottish Homelessness Involvement and Empowerment Network

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Links