Shelter (North Kensington)

Shelter offers advice and support services through personalised help with housing issues and homelessness to people living in Kensington and Chelsea.

To be eligible for help, clients must:

  • Live in an RBKC postcode; OR

  • Have been placed out-of-borough into temporary accommodation by RBKC.

The client must also have:

  • Tried to progress the housing case (by themselves or with the help of support professionals), e.g. contacted environmental health, homelessness team, TA team; AND

  • There’s been no response, or a negative response but there is merit to challenge that response.

PRIORITY REFERRALS:

The North Kensington Team will prioritise referrals for those who are:

  • living in Housing Association properties with disrepair.

  • clients’ who’s second language is English and / or  clients who have severe mental / physical health needs.

  • experiencing delays with the homelessness application process, specifically, for those experiencing domestic abuse, for refugees, Middle Eastern and Southwest Asian, North African (SWANA) clients with a background of trauma and PTSD.

What Shelter can assist with…

Help with landlords:

  • Harassment/unlawful eviction of clients who are vulnerable or experiencing multiple disadvantage.

  • Shelter Legal can take on unlawful eviction cases and harassment when they have capacity.

Possession action & court proceedings:

  • If client already has a court date, a legal referral should be made. If it can't be made or client isn't legally aidable, they can provide advice regarding possession action.

  • Shelter Legal - possession claims are generally in scope, but not all court proceedings.

Homeless application:

  • Client must have attempted to apply before we agree to take the case.

  • Can assist with challenges (gatekeeping, negative decision, unsuitable offers and unlawful delays) or in the event of an emergency where street homelessness is imminent – but immediate homelessness will likely have to be allocated as a Priority Case where there is capacity

  • Shelter Legal - s202 challenges under Legal Help and s204 challenges under Legal Aid.

Property conditions:

  • Can assist where the disrepair/hazards are a risk to health and client has already reported this to the landlord and landlord has then failed to carry out remedial works within a reasonable period of time.

  • Shelter Legal referral - only if serious risk of harm and client has already reported the defect.

Antisocial behaviour:

  • Can accept ASB issues where there is a risk or effect on health, risk of violence or the client is vulnerable. Referrals encouraged where racism and hate crime are a feature.

  • Shelter Legal: Help defending injunctions and committal applications. Also defending possession proceedings.

Housing Register Allocations:

  • Only accept reviews after triaging to assess the merits of case with reference to the allocation policy.

  • Shelter Legal - will take cases if eligible for legal aid.

Grenfell-related:

  • Will accept all referrals related to the Grenfell fire and its aftermath.

  • Shelter Legal - will take cases if eligible for legal aid.

Helping clients to find a suitable home:

  • We will only provide resources and signposting for PRS searches as part of solving a client's housing emergency or wider piece of casework.

  • Will accept cases where client is seeking support under s17 or for client's who are vulnerable.

  • Legal - will do s202 reviews under Legal Help and s204 challenges under Legal Aid.

Mortgage & Rent Arrears:

  • No capacity - signpost to local debt advice charities: Nucleus, Crosslight, Campden.

Other help for out-of-borough clients

Clients from surrounding London boroughs can be referred to the pan-London STAR team by downloading their referral form and where the client meets the criteria.

Shelter Westminster can also help but only on homelessness prevention. Enquiries can be sent to westminster@shelter.org.uk.

Resources