Individuals at risk of losing their accommodation should not normally be classified as homeless although we acknowledge that each situation will be slightly different and some discretion will be required. If you consider that you can justify classifying someone as homeless under the ‘hidden homeless’ aspect of the definition provided then it is fine to do so. The accommodation fields on the service user record should be updated by projects as beneficiaries’ circumstances change so we will be able to identify people who do not have an accommodation need at the start of their engagement but become homeless throughout the period of their involvement.

We have adopted the definition of homelessness that was issued to partnerships at the vision and scoping stage by Big Lottery Fund. This is:
Statutory definitions of homelessness are typically narrow, relating only to those in Priority Need and accepted as homeless by local authorities. We adopt a wider definition which includes:
• People sleeping rough;
• Single homeless people living in hostels, shelters and temporary supported accommodation;
• Statutory homeless households; and
• ‘Hidden homeless’ households, including those living in overcrowded conditions and temporarily sharing with friends and family.