In this section

Homelessness and Housing Solutions

The services available to you if you are seeking housing or rehousing in the Borough.

If you believe you are homeless today

Please telephone us on 01527 534069, explain that you think that are homeless today, and ask to speak to the homelessness duty team:

Monday to Friday: 9 am – 5 pm
Wednesday: 1 pm -5 pm

Outside of these hours you can call our out of hours service on 01527 67666.

In these cases, we will respond to you on the same working day and assess your needs, and if necessary, arrange an appointment for you to come to the offices for further assessment.

More information and advice can be found:

Shelter: Homelessness advice - Shelter England

Citizens Advice: Housing - Citizens Advice

Redditch Nightstop – Homeless Prevention and Support Services

You must also complete an online application to join our general housing register.

If you are homeless, we will not be able to rehouse you, if we need to, without a live application to join our housing register

make an online application to join our housing register

If you are threatened with homelessness

If your private landlord has notified you that they want their property back, or your family or friends have asked you to leave, for example, then you are “threatened with homelessness”. This is not an emergency, but it is important that you tell us as soon as possible so we can help prevent you becoming homeless. You can do this by an online application to join our housing register

Telephoning the duty team on 01527 534069

If you want to join our General Housing Register, or a transfer

You can apply to join the general housing register at any time, and you must do so if you are a tenant wishing to transfer to another home.

make an online application to join our housing register

You will be able to upload documentation for verification, and get updated and notified about your application, and any decisions made, through your customer account portal, so it is vital you

The Allocations Policy

All applications will be processed in accordance with the Allocations Policy

a summary can be found here

or the full version here:

Redditch Borough Council’s Allocations Policy.

Renting privately

As well as making an application for social housing through the Council, you are expected to be responsible for meeting your own housing needs in the private sector wherever possible.

The Council can offer financial assistance with deposits and first months’ rent in advance, and you may be able to claim benefits to meet ongoing housing costs. For more information go to our Renting Privately page

For general enquiries & contact us

Telephone us on 01527 534069

Complete an online enquiry form: Homelessness Enquiry | Redditchbc.gov.uk

Email us: housingsolutionsenquiries@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk

Our Woodrow office base in not currently open to the public without an appointment, and the Town Hall is closed for refurbishment. You can visit the temporary customer services team in person at:

Kingfisher Shopping Centre
5 George Walk
Redditch
B97 4HB (Behind Primark)

Do you want to challenge our decision, or make a complaint?

The homelessness team have their own Reviews and Complaints Standards because we understand that housing and homelessness law is technical and complex, and at times, our processes and decisions are not easy to understand, especially if you are already stressed, in crisis, or unwell.

It can be difficult to know where to go, and what to do, to get advice and support, challenge a decision or notice you have received, or you want to make a complaint about the services you are receiving.

The Reviews and Complaints Standard therefore clearly sets out the different circumstances that might occur on your journey through our service, and includes a helpful decision tree, to work through to support you in understanding what you need to do if you want to challenge a decision or complain. It will also signpost you to the right Ombudsman, if you remain dissatisfied with how we are handling your review or complaint.

Challenging a decision we have made: Requesting a review

You will be notified of our legal decisions on your case in writing through your customer portal. Each letter will have details of what to do if you do not agree with our decisions about your case.

Use the decision tree to understand if you need to request a review, and on what grounds. This will also help us to understand you better from the outset and provide a good review service to you.

You can use the link [decision tree form] to submit the form to us, or

Email the form to reviewsandcomplaints@redditchbc.gov.uk, or

Or write to us at:

Homelessness Team Managers
Redditch Borough Council
Town Hall
Walter Stranz Square
Redditch B98 8AH

Making a complaint

If you are unhappy with the way the Council’s homelessness teams have treated you, or handled your case, you can complain.

You should use the decision tree to understand your reasons for needing to complain, or even if a part of your review is also a complaint. This will help us to understand you better from the outset and provide a good service to you.

You can use the link [decision tree form] to submit the form to us, or

Email the form to reviewsandcomplaints@redditchbc.gov.uk, or

Or write to us at:

Homelessness Team Managers
Redditch Borough Council
Town Hall
Walter Stranz Square
Redditch B98 8AH

Homelessness and Housing Solutions Review or complaint decision tree

Homelessness and Housing Solutions Reviews, Complaints and Enquiries Standard