Homes and property Homelessness: duty to refer

By law, certain public organisations must notify us about people who are:

  • currently homeless; or
  • at risk of becoming homeless within the next 56 days.

Before making a referral

You must:

1. Check the person hasn’t already applied for help from us

  • If they have a live application, they’ll have a Housing Solutions Officer.
  • If they’ve applied but haven’t had a decision, contact their Housing Solutions Officer directly.
  • Do not submit a new referral for someone with a live application.

2. Get consent and confirmation

The person must:

  • give consent to share their information and contact details; and
  • choose Manchester City Council as their preferred housing authority; and
  • understand they may need to complete a homeless application.

What happens next?

  • We process all referrals during office hours (9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays).
  • Within three working days, we'll contact either yourself or the applicant directly.
  • We'll arrange a convenient appointment based on the urgency of the situation.
  • We'll make contact by email, or phone if safe to do so.

Important note

We'll assume no further help is needed and close the case if:

  • we can't reach you; or 
  • we don't receive a response to our reply within three working days.

Ready to make a referral?

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