Below is an overview of what you can expect when you contact us for help with housing or homelessness. The journey is made up of five stages: triage, assessment, investigations, accepting a duty, and the final decision.
Stage 1: Triage
After you call our Customer Services Team or submit an online application through the Kent Homechoice website, a Triage Officer will contact you.
They will:
- Discuss your housing situation
- Offer initial advice and guidance
- Decide whether you need an appointment with a Housing Options Officer
Stage 2: Assessment
What your Housing Options Officer will do
- Carry out a full housing assessment, usually face‑to‑face at the Civic Centre
- Talk through the reasons for your housing difficulties
- Explain what help may be available to improve or resolve your situation
What you will need to do
- Attend your appointment at the Civic Centre at the agreed time
- Complete all forms sent to you before the appointment
- You can email them back or bring them with you
- If forms are not completed, arrive 15 minutes early to obtain copies from Reception Forms may include: consent form, suitability form, property declaration form, medical form
- Provide any documents requested that have not already been uploaded to your Kent Homechoice portal or emailed to the team
Stage 3: Investigations
What your Housing Options Officer will do
- Confirm whether you are eligible for homelessness assistance
- Make enquiries to understand the reasons for your housing situation
- Contact other agencies or third parties if needed
- Make referrals where appropriate to help resolve your situation as quickly as possible
What you will need to do
- Provide all requested documents
- Keep the council updated if your circumstances change
Stage 4: Accepting a duty
Once investigations are complete, your Housing Options Officer will decide which homelessness duty you qualify for.
Prevention Duty
This applies if you are still in your current home but at risk of becoming homeless within 56 days — for example, you have received notice from your landlord, or family/friends have asked you to leave.
What we will do:
- Negotiate with your landlord (where appropriate)
- Help you remain in your current home if possible
- Assist you in securing alternative suitable accommodation
- Create a Personal Housing Plan (PHP) tailored to your situation
Relief Duty
This applies if you are already homeless or no longer have accommodation available — for example, if you have a bailiff warrant or have been asked to leave immediately.
What we will do:
- Negotiate with your landlord (if appropriate)
- Support you to find suitable accommodation
- Consider whether you meet the criteria for Interim Accommodation
- Create a Personal Housing Plan to guide your next steps
What you will need to do
- Complete all actions in your Personal Housing Plan
- Actively search for private rented properties (a list of websites will be provided, but you can use any you choose)
- Work with any agencies listed in your plan
- Explore ways to increase your income, such as employment
- Proactively look for alternative accommodation and stay in regular contact with your Housing Options Officer
Stage 5: Final Decison
If you are eligible and homeless, we will open a Relief Duty and work with you for up to 56 days to help you find suitable accommodation.
If accommodation is not secured within that period, we must decide whether the council owes you any further duty.
We will assess the following:
- Are you eligible for homelessness assistance?
- Are you homeless?
- Do you have a priority need?
- Are you unintentionally homeless?
- Do you have a local connection?
If the answer to all these questions is yes, the council will owe you the Main Housing Duty.
Main Housing Duty
If you are accepted under the Main Duty, we will:
- Continue working with you to secure longer‑term accommodation
- Explain that this may not mean social housing
- Offer suitable accommodation in the private rented sector, where appropriate
What you can do
- Keep searching for suitable and affordable private rented properties
- Prepare for moving, especially if you are currently in temporary accommodation
- If you are eligible to go on the housing register, bid on all suitable properties through Kent Homechoice
If you are able to go on the waiting list, ensure that you bid on all suitable properties on Kent Homechoice. Be aware that the demand of social housing outweighing the supply, and the waiting times can be very long. Reliance on the housing register is not realistic prospect and therefore you are encouraged to search for unsuitable accommodation the private sector to reduce the time that you are in temporary accommodation.