Churches Housing Action Team (CHAT Charity)

Author Archive

Youth Housing Project

Dealing with youth homelessness

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Housing Advice A Youth Project partnership between Churches Housing Action Team (CHAT) and Westcountry Housing Association (WHA).

This project works with homeless vulnerable young people aged between 16 & 17 by providing supported accommodation and teaching independent living skills to lead productive lives.

CHAT supports the Tiverton Market Centre Youth Drop In – a safe and neutral venue for young people to meet. Go to Tiverton Market Centre Youth Drop In website CLICK HERE

CHAT manages five 3-bedroom houses in Tiverton where two young people live in each house. One house is dedicated for use by young mothers and their babies.

The accommodation is affordable for young people who are living on benefits while they attend college, undertake voluntary work activities or work full time.

Applications cannot be accepted for couples or young people with high support needs.

How to apply

Young people in housing need aged 16 – 21 years should be referred to CHAT via Mid Devon District Council, Housing Department (tel 01884 255 255); Children and Young Peoples Services Devon County Council, or a professional youth organisation.

Download: Single Assessment form for Young Person in Housing Need PDF

Tenancy Support

How Can We Help?

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Tenancy Support CHAT offers a free outreach service to help people move on with their lives through the provision of specialist and general advice and support.

The service is supported by the CHAT Housing Advice team who provide specialist advice.

Many people experience periods of time when they need a hand with issues such as:

Retaining their homes.
Making sure all benefits entitlements are applied for.
Sorting out financial problems.
Completing forms.
Applying for grants & loans.
Establishing a new home.
Finding appropriate services, such as getting back to work or college.
Managing anxieties or addictions.
Dealing with landlords.
Support and advice at meetings.

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Our Tenancy Support staff can offer short and long term, intensive and intermittent support.
You can ask for support yourself or be referred to us by another organisation.

Please note: there is usually a waiting list for support which is prioritised according to level of need
and service capacity.

Download: Floating Tenancy Support Pack 2011 PDF

Housing Advice

We provide free, impartial and confidential advice on housing problems.

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Housing Advice We give advice on all housing issues, particularly those affecting you as a tenant or as an owner occupier.

Advice is available over the phone, in person, and by by email, and our advisers can act on your behalf where necessary.
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We help by

Providing Housing Advice.
Acting as advocates.
Offering Deposit Guarantees.
Referring clients to Tenancy
Support and the Youth Housing Project.
Signposting to other relevant organisations.

We work with those who…

may be threatened with homelessness.
are living in substandard or overcrowded accommodation.
are sleeping rough or on someone’s floor.
are living in temporary accommodation.
are being released from prison, youth offenders institution, or discharged from hospital without an address.

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Drop in surgeries are available during the week at the CHAT offices in Tiverton and by phone during office hours. We also offer drop in services in:

CREDITON (Tuesday afternoon between 2pm and 4.30pm)
Council Offices,
Market Street,
Crediton

CULLOMPTON (Monday afternoon between 2pm and 4.30pm)
Community House,
Fore Street,
Cullompton

These services are free to anyone in housing need, and are maintained through donations received from Churches, Trusts and individuals.

Hardship Fund

We are able to provide emergency bedding, sleeping bags and tents. We also have a furniture store.

Fund raising events, such as sponsored concerts, sport activities, social events, etc., are welcomed. Gifts of dried and canned food for the homeless and those who are experiencing hardship are always appreciated by the recipient.