Our approach to Housing Options

Housing Options is an information and advice process that councils use when someone approaches them with a housing problem.

Housing Options advice is a free service available for households experiencing housing difficulty. You don't need to be homeless or threatened with homelessness to access this advice.

• you may be residing in a home that no longer meets your families needs
• you may be looking to down-size as your current home is too big now the kids have flown the nest.
• you could be experiencing difficulties at your existing tenancy like debt, neighbour dispute or living in a tenancy that is below tolerable standards.

Our aim is to offer effective and relevant housing advice at the earliest possible stage, which will let you make choices about what option is best for you. The options we discuss with you will be tailored to your individual circumstances and might include council housing, housing association housing as well as private rented sector and home-ownership.

We work in partnership with other services such as employability, health, money advice and family mediation to assist you with issues that might result in a housing crisis. We help households to connect with these services to get support. 

East Renfrewshire Council also offer advice and support for households struggling with the cost of living. Find out more about the advice and support available. 

Seeking Housing Options advice as soon as possible could prevent a housing crisis situation and early intervention may prevent homelessness wherever possible. However, if you're homeless or threatened with homelessness within 56 days, we must offer you the opportunity to open and submit a homeless application, which you've the right to reject or withdraw from.