At Erimus Housing, people are a priority and we are committed to reducing the problem of homelessness in Middlesbrough through successful prevention work. We have delivered the homelessness service on behalf of Middlesbrough Council since November 2004.

In July 2006 we were named as one of 12 organisations across the country to become a regional champion for homelessness after cutting homeless figures by half in a year.

Anyone who is homeless or threatened with homelessness can make arrangements to discuss their situation and their available housing options with our homeless team.

Please contact our team on 08000 461 600, free from a land line, or 01642 773633 which is charged at local rates from a mobile phone, or call into our Homechoice office on Corporation Road in Middlesbrough, for help and advice. No appointment is needed and officers are available from 9am to 5pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, from 10am to 5pm on Wednesdays and from 9am to 4.30pm on a Friday.

Homeless Applications

An officer will complete an initial assessment or may visit your home to establish whether you meet the criteria outlined in the Housing Act 1996, amended by the Homelessness Act 2002, before taking a homeless application. Officers will also advise you on alternative housing options including housing association, private rented and supported housing schemes.

There are five main criteria to establish:

If you are eligible to apply for rehousing i.e:

• You are a British citizen or a citizen of a foreign country that has unrestricted permission to live in the United Kingdom for a limited period of time.

If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness i.e:

• You have nowhere to live;
• You have somewhere to live but are likely to face domestic violence or violence from un-associated person(s) if you stay;
• You have been served with a court order or a legal notice from your landlord requiring you to leave your home.

If you are in a priority group i.e:

• You have dependent children living with you, or you are pregnant;
• You are a person who is vulnerable due to old age, mental illness, handicap, physical violence or violence from an un-associated person;
• You are homeless due to emergency such as a fire, flood or other disaster.

If you have not become intentionally homeless i.e:

• You have not given up a home which you could have continued to live in;
• You have not deliberately done something, or failed to do something, which resulted in the loss of your home.

If you have a local connection with Middlesbrough i.e:

• You have lived in Middlesbrough for six out of the past 12 months or three out of the past five years;
• You have a permanent job in Middlesbrough.

Housing Advice

If you are a landlord having problems with your tenant, please contact us as we may be able to help you resolve the problem without resorting to eviction. We would also like you to tell us before any notice to quit is served on a tenant. If we cannot resolve the problems, we can assist you through the correct process.

If you are a tenant having problems with your landlord, we can help you resolve any issues and advise you on alternative housing options.

We also sell tenancy agreements and provide an information pack promoting good landlord practice.

Useful numbers:

Homeless and Housing Advice - 08000 461 600, free from a land line, or 01642 773633 which is charged at local rates from a mobile phone.

Out of Hours - 08000 461 600
(Calling out of hours is for homeless emergencies and not general advice)

Citizens Advice Bureau - 01642 864455

Money Advice - 01642 728448

Middlesbrough Social Services:

Office Hours - 01642 264510

Emergency - 01642 631123

Local Help for Emergency Situations - Download the leaflet here