Accommodation Options Officer – EK

Carrington Blake Recruitment; Greater London; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Carrington Blake Recruitment is seeking an experienced Housing Options Officer to support residents facing homelessness, offering practical advice and personalised housing plans. The role focuses on preventing homelessness and moving households into suitable Private Rented Sector accommodation.

You will assess needs, negotiate with landlords and agencies, and manage complex cases with clear, defensible decisions, contributing to reduced use of temporary accommodation.

Qualifications

• Experience with homeless households or housing insecurity.
• Knowledge of Part VII of the Housing Act 1996.
• Understanding of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and duties.
• Experience assessing accommodation suitability, affordability and sustainability.
• Experience supporting households into private rented accommodation.
• Understanding causes/risks of rough sleeping.
• Strong assessment, interviewing and problem-solving skills.
• Experience managing complex or challenging cases.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work with landlords, residents and partner agencies.
• Strong written skills and clear, defensible decisions.
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise competing demands.

Responsibilities

• Assess homelessness applications and household circumstances.
• Undertake prevention and relief work to reduce temporary accommodation.
• Identify housing solutions for residents at risk of rough sleeping.
• Support moves from supported/temporary accommodation to PRS.
• Assess accommodation suitability, affordability and sustainability.
• Provide housing options advice and personalised housing plans.
• Negotiate with landlords, families and agencies to prevent homelessness.
• Arrange emergency/temporary accommodation where required.
• Allocate temporary accommodation including B&Bs and PSLs.
• Identify and secure PRS properties and make offers.
• Collaborate with support providers and other agencies.
• Manage complex cases and provide evidence-based recommendations.
• Maintain accurate case records and defendable decisions.
• Contribute to reducing use and cost of temporary accommodation.
• Support residents through crisis and transition to settled housing.

Skills

Homelessness experience

Housing options

Part VII Housing Act

Homelessness Reduction Act 2017

Assessment skills

Negotiation

Communication

Problem solving

Case management

Landlord liaison

Written decisions

Prioritisation

Job description

Location: London
Job Type: Full-time
Sector: Local Government / Housing

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Housing Options, Homelessness Prevention & Move-On Officer to join a busy housing service supporting households who are homeless, threatened with homelessness or at risk of rough sleeping.

The successful candidate will work with residents who have a history of rough sleeping and those living in supported or temporary accommodation, helping them secure suitable and sustainable accommodation within the Private Rented Sector (PRS).

You will provide comprehensive housing options advice, assess housing needs and risks, prevent homelessness wherever possible and ensure that statutory homelessness duties are discharged lawfully and effectively.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess homelessness applications and household circumstances in accordance with Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.
• Undertake homelessness prevention and relief work, identifying practical solutions to prevent homelessness and reduce the need for temporary accommodation.
• Work with residents at risk of rough sleeping and those with a history of rough sleeping to identify appropriate housing solutions.
• Support residents to move on from supported and temporary accommodation into suitable PRS accommodation.
• Assess accommodation suitability, affordability and sustainability.
• Provide housing options advice and develop appropriate personalised housing plans.
• Negotiate with landlords, families, accommodation providers and other agencies to prevent homelessness.
• Arrange emergency and temporary accommodation where statutory duties require.
• Allocate suitable temporary accommodation, including B&Bs, hostels, nightly lets, PSLs and other accommodation schemes.
• Identify and secure PRS properties and make appropriate offers to households where suitable.
• Work collaboratively with support providers, social care, mental health services, domestic abuse services and other partner agencies.
• Manage complex and escalated housing cases and provide clear, evidence-based recommendations.
• Maintain accurate case records and ensure decisions are legally robust, defensible and communicated clearly to residents.
• Contribute to reducing the council’s use, cost and length of stay in temporary accommodation.
• Support residents through crisis, accommodation placement and transition into settled housing.

About You

You will have experience of working with homeless households or people experiencing housing insecurity, together with a strong understanding of the causes and complexities associated with rough sleeping.

You should have:

• Experience working within a homelessness, housing options or housing needs environment.
• Knowledge of Part VII of the Housing Act 1996.
• Understanding of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, including prevention and relief duties.
• Experience assessing accommodation suitability, affordability and sustainability.
• Experience supporting households into private rented accommodation.
• Understanding of the causes and risks associated with rough sleeping.
• Strong assessment, interviewing and problem-solving skills.
• Experience managing complex or challenging cases.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work effectively with landlords, residents, support providers and partner agencies.
• Strong written skills and the ability to produce clear, accurate and defensible decisions.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities.

Why Join?

This is an excellent opportunity to make a direct difference to people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. You will play a key role in preventing homelessness, reducing reliance on temporary accommodation and helping residents achieve sustainable move‑…

If you are an experienced housing professional with a strong understanding of homelessness legislation and a passion for finding practical housing solutions, we would like to hear from you.