If you have seen someone sleeping rough you can refer them to the Housing Options Team.
Make a referral
Use the Housing Assistance Referral Portal to refer someone:
Housing Assistance Referral Portal
Our Housing Options team will contact the person within 48 hours to offer advice and, if needed, arrange an appointment with a Housing Advisor.
If the person agrees, the Housing Advisor can keep you informed about the referral's progress and the help being provided.
Required information
Applicants must agree to the referral before it is made, and you’ll need to confirm they’ve given their consent.
When making a referral to a local authority, you must include at least:
- The applicant’s name
- Their contact details
- The reason for the referral, such as why they are homeless.
It’s also helpful to include details about their household, like if they have children, and when they might become homeless.
You can also share any other useful information, like their health needs.
Does the applicant have to be referred to Oldham?
The applicant can ask to be referred to any Local Authority they choose.
However, if they don’t have a local connection there, they might be referred back to an area where they do have a connection, as long as it’s safe to do so.
Local authorities in Greater Manchester follow a common approach, but each one has its own referral process.
Duty to Refer
Public authorities must inform a local housing authority if they believe someone is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
The public authorities include:
- Prisons
- Youth offender institutions
- Secure training centres
- Secure colleges
- Youth offending teams
- Probation services (including community rehabilitation companies)
- Jobcentre Plus
- Social service authorities
- Emergency departments
- Urgent treatment centres
- Hospitals in their function of providing inpatient care
- The Secretary of State for Defence, in relation to members of the regular forces.
In Greater Manchester, other agencies have also signed up to Voluntary Duty to Refer including:
- Local housing providers
- Greater Manchester Police
Contact
Housing Options Team
- T: 0161 770 4605
- E: housing.options@oldham.gov.uk
Outside of office hours (Monday to Friday 9am-5pm), you can call 0800 988 7061.