Glossary of Housing Advice and Homelessness Terms

Advice Shop	Currently located at 85-87 South Bridge but moving to 329 High Street in summer 2009, provides advice on welfare benefits and welfare rights, Money and debt advice and consumer credit affairs.
Amenity Housing	Amenity housing is housing with design features that makes it particularly suitable for older people.
Area Team (also known as Neighbourhood office)	City of Edinburgh Council has six area teams/neighbourhood offices where you can present as homeless or have a housing advice interview. Central Office – 1 Cockburn Street. Tel: 0131 529 7061 East Office – 86 Niddrie Mains Road. Tel: 0131 529 3111 North Office – 8 West Pilton Gardens. Tel: 0131 529 5050 South Office – 40 Captain’s Road. Tel: 0131 529 5151 South West Office – 10 Westside Plaza. Tel: 0131 527 3800 West Office – Chesser House, 500 Gorgie Road. Tel: 0131 529 7440
Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)	Anti-social behaviour can be any intimidating or threatening activity that scares you or damages your quality of life.
ASRU (now known as ISAT)	Asylum Seekers and Refugee Unit, now the Immigration and Asylum Support Team.
Assured Tenancy	If you rent your home from a private landlord or a letting agency then you will probably have an Assured Tenancy if: Your tenancy starter after 2 January 1989, and Before the Tenancy commenced, you were not given a notice (AT5 form) stating that it was to be a Short Assured Tenancy, and The place where you live is rented as a home, and It is your only or main home. You do not have to rent the whole property; you may just rent a room or part of the property. However, if you are sharing the accommodation with your landlord, you will not have an Assured Tenancy. For further advice, contact Housing Property Services – 0131 529 2255
B&B	Bed and Breakfast Accommodation
Bids	If you are interested in a property that has been advertised through the Choice system, you need to put in a Note of Interest or ‘bid’ for the property. This adds your name to the list of people interested in this property. You can put in a ‘bid’ for up to three homes each week, but before you note your interest, you should remember to check that the properties you are choosing are suitable for your household and that you meet the advertised criteria.
BME	Black and Minority Ethnic
Children & Families (C&F)	A department within City of Edinburgh Council. It includes Education Services and Social Work Services for Children & Families.
CEC	City of Edinburgh Council
Customer Service Excellence (CSE)	The government's national standard for customer service.
Choice	The City of Edinburgh Council lets houses through a choice based letting scheme called "EH Your Key to Choice" To take part in the "EH Your Key to Choice" scheme you must first register by completing the application form. You can then note interest in available houses which are advertised every week on the website http://keytochoice.scotsman.com/ (external website hosted by a third party) and in the Evening News on a Monday. As the City of Edinburgh Council is part of Edindex, the single housing register for Edinburgh, this is done by completing an Edindex application form. Registering with Edindex is the route into "EH Your Key to Choice".
Communities Scotland	The Scottish Government’s housing and regulation and inspection agency. This was disbanded on 1^st April 2008. All regulation is now carried out by the Scottish Housing regulator http://www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk
Core Furnished Tenancies (CFT)	The Core Furnished Tenancy scheme can provide you with bed(s), an electric cooker, a fridge and/or carpets and curtains for your new tenancy.
Discretionary Housing Benefit	If you are receiving Council Tax Benefit but are still having difficulty meeting your Council Tax payments, you may be able to get extra help from the Discretionary Housing Payment Fund. The fund has been made available by the Council, with assistance from the Government, to enable additional financial assistance to be provided to claimants of Council Tax Benefit where they are not entitled to full benefit but are nonetheless experiencing financial difficulty in paying their Council Tax.
Domestic Ejection	Where a person has been asked to leave their accommodation by parent, other family member or friends
Duty Discharge	The Council has met its legal duties to you. This varies depending on your circumstances and assessment decision.
DV	Domestic Violence (also known as domestic abuse). Domestic violence is physical, sexual, psychological or financial abuse that takes place within an intimate or family-type relationship and that forms a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour. This can include forced marriage and so-called 'honour crimes'. Domestic violence may include a range of abusive behaviours, not all of which are in themselves inherently 'violent'.
ECCO	Edinburgh Common Customer Outcomes – a performance monitoring system for recording both outcomes for people who are working with commissioned homelessness and support services.
EdIndex	EdIndex provides a simple way to apply for social rented housing in Edinburgh. It is a partnership between 21 housing organisations, including the Council, who have agreed to have one housing register for people who want to rent a house in Edinburgh.
Economically Active	A person is considered to be economically active if they are: In full or part time employment Self employed or Receiving maternity pay This economic status applies to persons from the European Union. The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member states, located in Europe.
Edinburgh Access Practice (EAP)	A health practice committed to promoting and improving the health and well-being of people experiencing homelessness.
Edinburgh Landlord Accreditation (ELA)	Helps you identify private landlords that have committed to providing well managed, good quality rented accommodation. View available properties at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/ela
Final Offer	An offer that is made outwith the EH-Key to Choice system. It is made to customers who are assessed as Priority Need homeless and who fail to use ‘Silver Priority’ as advised. If a customer refuses a Final offer, then the Council will discharge it’s duty.
Gold Priority	Awarded to Edindex applicants when their current property does not meet, and cannot be adapted to meet the housing needs of their household. Gold priority (urgent) is usually only awarded in exceptional circumstances, for example to enable a hospital discharge. This priority is also awarded to prevent long term hospital and care home admissions and forms part of a wider support and care package.
Health & Social Care (H&S)	A department within City of Edinburgh Council which provides Social Work Services to adults without children.
HIS	A performance monitoring system for recording housing advice and homeless assessment cases.
(Bethany) Homemaker	Exists to help families and individuals on low incomes access furniture, floor coverings, electrical appliances, and other household essentials to “turn their houses into homes” – part of Establishing a Home Service.
Homelessness	The law says you are homeless if you have no permanent/secure accommodation, or you have accommodation but are unable to live in it. You do not have to be living on the streets to be homeless. Examples of homelessness are: You have been living with family or friends but they have asked you to leave You have been evicted by Court Order You are unable to stay in your home because you are at risk of violence from someone you live with or used to live with You are forced to live apart from members of your family because you do not have accommodation where you can live together You are likely to become homeless within two months.
HOT	Housing Options Team – located at 1 Cockburn Street. Tel: 0131 529 7368 The Housing Options Team can help you if you are homeless or at risk of losing your home, or even if you are just planning to move by providing advice and assistance.
Housing Association	Housing Associations & Co-operatives are not for profit organisations formed to provide and manage affordable homes for rent. They may also provide other services such as shared ownership.
Housing Benefit (HB)	A means tested social security benefit that is intended to help people with low incomes and low savings pay for rented accommodation.
Housing Needs Assessment	An assessment that is undertaken to establish the housing & support needs of a individual to ensure that the their home meets their needs or the correct support is provided to allow them to live independently in their own home and be involved in their local community.
Housing Options Guide	A City of Edinburgh Council website giving information about various housing options, including information about affordable buying, renting from a private landlord, renting from a social landlord and homelessness.
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.
ISAT (previously known as ASRU)	Immigration and Asylum Support Team
iWorld (also known as SX3 or Northgate)	A Computer system used by the City of Edinburgh Council as part of the allocation process.
LEAP	Lothians and Edinburgh Abstinence Programme – a programme for people dependent on substances who want to get clean. If alcohol is part of a wider drugs problem, treatment is also offered.
Legal Duty	The Council's duties will vary depending on your situation and assessment but everyone is entitled to advice and assisstance.
Letwise	A City of Edinburgh Council team that provides help and advice for private tenants, landlords and letting agents in Edinburgh. Their aim is to improve and maintain the quality and management of private rented housing in the city of Edinburgh and help encourage the growth of diverse thriving communities.
Local Housing Allowance (LHA)	Local Housing Allowance is for private tenants who rent property or a room from a private landlord and who are on a low income. Local Housing Allowance is a way of calculating Housing Benefit (HB) that is based on the area the customer lives, number of occupiers in the property and household size. LHA is a way of calculating HB which ensures that tenants in similar circumstances in the same area receive the same amount of financial support for their housing costs.
Local Connection/No Local Connection	The Council will identify if a homeless applicant has a local connection with Edinburgh that includes: If the person is or was normally resident in the area, usually if the person has lived in Edinburgh for three of the past five years or six months out of the last year Because of employment Because of family connection Because of special circumstances Applicants in special circumstances are assessed on an individual basis. This includes people fleeing domestic violence or someone who has no local connection with anywhere in the United Kingdom. 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.
Mover	A categories used within EH- Key to Choice. A ‘Mover’ is someone who falls under one of the following: A Council tenant A tenant of a Housing Association or Housing Co-operative Part of a joint tenancy with the Council, Housing Associations or Co-Operatives A tenant of tied accommodation that is provided by your employer An owner-occupier of a home (you may be paying a mortgage)
NEDAC	North Edinburgh Drug Advice Centre
Neighbourhood Team (also known as Area Team)	City of Edinburgh Council has six area teams/neighbourhood offices where you can present as homeless or have a housing advice interview. Central Office – 1 Cockburn Street. Tel: 0131 529 7061 East Office – 86 Niddrie Mains Road. Tel: 0131 529 3111 North Office – 8 West Pilton Gardens. Tel: 0131 529 5050 South Office – 40 Captain’s Road. Tel: 0131 529 5151 South West Office – 10 Westside Plaza. Tel: 0131 527 3800 West Office – Chesser House, 500 Gorgie Road. Tel: 0131 529 7440
No Recourse to Public Funds	If you are not from the United Kingdom and have a residence permit that allows you to live in the United Kingdom, it may include the condition that you have no recourse to public funds. If so, it means you will not be able to claim most benefits, tax credits or council housing assistance.
Non Priority Need	The outcome of a homeless assessment where the household is accepted as being homeless, but where the household does not meet any of the circumstances that may be viewed as being in priority need.
Not Homeless	A ‘Not Homeless’ assessment is when it has been determined that the applicant has accommodation they can reasonably occupy and where they are not threatened with becoming homeless within two months.
Neighbourghood Support Team (NST)	The Neighbourhood Support Team (NST) provides support to customers who may have difficulty sustaining and maintaining their tenancy or meeting tenancy obligations.
Note of Interest (NOI)	If you are interested in a property that has been advertised through the Choice system, you need to put in a Note of Interest or ‘bid’ for the property. This adds your name to the list of people interested in this property. You can put in a Note of Interest on up to three homes each week, but before you note your interest, you should remember to check that the properties you are choosing are suitable for your household and that you meet the advertised criteria.
Notice to Quit (NTQ)	A notice served by a landlord to try and end a tenancy. Always seek advice if you receive one of these.
Overcrowding	If your accommodation is much too small for your household, you may be considered to be living in overcrowded conditions under the law. Your home may be legally overcrowded if there are not enough rooms or enough space for the number of people who live there. Your house may become overcrowded if you have a new baby or if someone else (for example, a partner, parent or grandparent) comes to live with you.
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.
Private Rented Sector (PRS)	The Private Rented Sector (PRS) is defined as accommodation that is privately owned (that is, not by a social landlord), and rented out, usually at a profit.
Private Sector Leasing (PSL)	PSL properties are owned by private landlords. These properties are leased by the Council who let them to customers in housing need for a period of up to 3-5 years.
Realistic Bidding	Realistic bidding is when you make bids through the ‘EH – Key To Choice system’ for homes that you have more chance of being successful at obtaining. This includes areas that have a higher availability and properties that meet your requirements. A housing officer will be able to advise you on this.
Resettlement	Resettlement is a way of providing support over time to help a person make changes in their life so that they feel and are: Physically and emotionally secure; In control of their life and their home; Actively involved in a network of supportive social relationships; In possession of a sense of purpose; and Working to achieve dreams and aspirations.
RSL	Registered Social Landlords, such as a Housing Association or Co-operative.
SACRO	Safeguarding Communities – Reducing Offending. A national community justice voluntary organisation working across Scotland to make communities safer by reducing conflict and offending.
SCSH	Scottish Council for Single Homeless. The national membership body for organisations and individuals tackling homelessness in Scotland.
Services for Communities (SfC)	A department within City of Edinburgh Council which includes Community Safety, housing, environment, libraries, roads and refuse collection.
Short Assured Tenancy	A short assured tenancy is an assured tenancy with a minimum initial period of let of not less than six months and where the tenant or tenants were served with an AT5 form before the lease was signed.
Sheltered Housing	Sometimes known as retirement housing. Sheltered Housing is usually a group of flats or bungalows residents are usually older people (usually over 55). With a few exceptions, all developments (or 'schemes') provide independent, self-contained homes with their own front doors. Some schemes have common facilities that all residents can use - such as a residents' lounge, a guest suite, a garden and often a laundry.
Silver Priority	If you are assessed as unintentionally homeless and in priority need, you will be given, a ‘Silver Priority’ to give you a greater priority when bidding for a new home from the available houses advertised.
Single Shared Assessment	Care Needs Assessment Package – The Single Shared Assessment is a core assessment designed for use by trained staff who assess the needs of vulnerable individuals, primarily in community settings. It is designed from a multidisciplinary perspective and is suitable for use by all relevant disciplines.
Social Networks	Personal networks made up of people who can be called on for help, support or to pass the time of day with or seek advice from.
SSST	A short Scottish secure tenancy is a short term tenancy agreement which can be given to tenants by a council, housing association or housing co-op. SSSTs are offered: For lets for a short period, after which your tenancy may be converted to a Scottish Secure tenancy, or For temporary lets
Starter	A Starter is one of the categories used within EH- Key to Choice. A ‘Starter’ is someone who falls under one of the following: Homeless Staying with a friend or relative Staying in a hostel Staying in supported accommodation Having a relationship breakdown
TAP	The Access Point – located at 23 Leith Street, Edinburgh. Tel: 0131 529 7438 A multi-disciplinary service comprising of Housing, Social Work and healthcare to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Temporary Accommodation	The Temporary Accommodation Service is a Council service that provides emergency and temporary accommodation to people who find themselves in housing crisis.
Throughcare and Aftercare (TC&AC)	The Throughcare and Aftercare team provide support to young people who have been looked after in care up until the age of 21.
Two Homes Payment	Normally you can only get housing benefit for one home at a time. However, there are special circumstances where it may be possible to have housing benefit paid for more than one home. These circumstances are: Moving Home Waiting for adaptations to be carried out Leaving home because of fear of violence Your family is too big for one home Payments for two homes are not given automatically, so you will have to write to the Revenues and Benefit department (Chesser House, 500 Gorgie Road, Edinburgh, EH11 3YJ Tel: 0131 469 5000) and ask.
Worker Registration Scheme (WRS)	The Worker Registration Scheme was set up in 2004 to allow workers from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungry, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia or Slovenia to work in the UK. Workers from the above countries must register on the WRS scheme within a month of joining a new employer. By registering, they are able to claim some basic benefits, such as Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Tax Credits. However, the worker must be employed to be able to claim these benefits. If the worker is able to prove that they have worked legally for at least a 12 month period (without a break in employment of more that 30 days) then they may be able to claim social security benefits such as Jobseeker's Allowance.

Contacts

Name: Assessment, Homelessness and Support

Address: 1 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh EH1 1BJ

Tel: 0131 529 7368

E-mail: housingoptions