Dorset Council and national charities Shelter and Citizens Advice have joined forces for the first time to help prevent homelessness in Dorset.

The new partnership will support residents who are experiencing a range of housing issues by providing a free and confidential 'one-stop-shop' for anyone with housing cost concerns.

Experts will offer legal and debt advice, help in finding a new home due to eviction and in some circumstances facilitate financial assistance to enable residents to remain in their homes.

The Housing Advice Line is open to anyone who has a mortgage, rents privately, has a social landlord or are a landlord themselves.

It is also open to lettings agents, so they can share information with landlords and their clients.

When people call the housing hotline their enquiry will be assessed and passed on to the most relevant team or organisation.

The collaboration was formed to make it easier for people to access help if they have concerns or worries about losing their home, by having only one point of contact to get help.  

Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for adult social care, health and housing, Cllr Jane Somper, said: “Preventing homelessness is a key priority for Dorset Council and we are using a variety of ways to help residents who find themselves in difficult situations.

“People often contact the authorities for help when they reach a crisis point, which is extremely stressful for them.

"It means we are often very limited in the help that we can give as options narrow the more urgent the case is.

“Having the three organisations work collaboratively, means we can make the process of seeking help more streamlined and easier for residents to access – hopefully averting them from becoming homeless.”

Every local authority has a statutory duty to provide advice to everyone who is experiencing housing issues.

Data provided by Dorset Council from 2023 shows that they took approximately 8,000 calls on housing issues, and answered more than 25,000 emails about housing related topics.

It also managed around 350 referrals from professionals and took more than 4,000 enquiries through its dedicated online portal – a rise of 6% from 2022.

The Echo previously reported that research from homeless charity Shelter had revealed that there are approximately 742 people without a home for various reasons prior to Christmas.

In the year ending March 2023, a total of 1,522 households required help from the council due to homelessness or because they were at risk of homelessness between  – a 10.2% increase on the previous year.

Hub manager for Shelter, Dorset, Kate Parker said: “Working with the council and Citizens Advice gives us the opportunity to get a wider understanding of someone’s circumstances, which enables us to give them tailored advice about their situation and prevent homelessness where possible.

“We can offer legal support where necessary, as our solicitors give free advice and attend court to help people who’ve lost their homes or are facing eviction.

“If anyone receives a court date for possession, we urge them to attend. Shelter is at court on possession days (alternate Thursdays) so will be able to provide advice and advocacy at the hearing. Just ask the Usher to direct you to the Shelter representative.”

Residents can access the Housing Advice service by emailing housinghelp@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk or by calling the helpline on 01305 221000