What happens after the interview?

Following the interview, we will look at your circumstances to decide what support and help we can offer. The law says we need to consider:

• whether you are homeless or threatened with homelessness
• whether you have priority need
• whether you are intentionally homeless
• whether you have a local connection.

These terms are explained below and will also be explained to you further during your interview.

Homeless or Threatened with Homelessness

We will consider you as homeless if you have no accommodation or you have accommodation but it is not reasonable for you to continue to live there. We will consider you as threatened with homelessness if you are likely to become homeless within two months.

Priority Need

If you are homeless, we then need to find out if you have a 'priority need' according to the law. You may be in priority need if you or someone who lives with you is:

• pregnant
• responsible for dependent children (that is someone under 16 or under 19 and in full time education or training)
• vulnerable because of:
  • age (young people under 18 and older people over 60)
  • mental health problems
  • chronic ill health
  • learning or physical disability
  • or other special reason
  • the victim of an emergency such as fire or flood
  • subject to violence or threats of violence from a partner or former partner.

You can discuss your own particular circumstances and whether you have a priority need with your case officer.

Intentionally Homeless

If you are homeless and in priority need, the law requires us to consider whether you are intentionally homeless. You may be found to be intentionally homeless if:

• you voluntarily left your last home without good reason
• your accommodation was taken away from you because of your own actions, for example, because of antisocial behaviour.

You are not intentionally homeless if you had a good reason for leaving your accommodation.

Local Connection

You have a local connection if:

• you have lived in the City of Edinburgh area for a significant period of time
• you have a job here
• you have close family links here
• there are other special circumstances, for example, you are fleeing domestic abuse.

If you do not have a local connection with the Edinburgh area, you may be referred to another local authority area where you do have a connection.