Housing Options Officer

North Yorkshire Council; Selby; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

North Yorkshire Council is seeking a Housing Options Officer to join the Housing Needs Service, supporting individuals and families facing housing difficulties and helping to prevent homelessness across North Yorkshire.

You will assess homelessness applications, advise on housing options, negotiate with landlords, and collaborate with partner agencies to deliver a professional, responsive service. Based in Selby with travel across the county and occasional out-of-hours duties.

Qualifications

• Experience assessing homelessness cases and applying relevant legislation.
• Ability to develop personalised housing plans and advise on housing options.
• Strong decision-making, communication and record-keeping skills.

Responsibilities

• Assess homelessness applications and determine statutory duties.
• Develop personalised housing plans to prevent homelessness.
• Provide advice on housing options including social housing and private rented.
• Negotiate with landlords, lenders and support agencies to prevent homelessness.
• Support vulnerable customers through challenging circumstances.
• Carry out home visits and customer appointments across the county.
• Work with partner organisations including social care, health and housing providers.
• Manage casework from enquiry to resolution with a professional service.
• Maintain accurate records and handle sensitive information per data protection.

Skills

Customer focus

Empathy

Communication

Negotiation

Organised

IT skills

Job description

We are looking for a motivated and compassionate Housing Options Officer to join our Housing Needs Service. In this rewarding role, you will support individuals and families facing housing difficulties, helping to prevent homelessness and secure sustainable housing solutions across North Yorkshire.

The role:

As a Housing Options Officer, you will work directly with customers who are experiencing housing challenges, providing advice, guidance and practical support to help them maintain or secure suitable accommodation.

Key responsibilities include:

Assessing homelessness applications and determining statutory duties under homelessness legislation.

• Developing personalised housing plans to help prevent or relieve homelessness.
• Providing advice on housing options, including social housing, private rented accommodation, low-cost home ownership and other housing solutions.
• Negotiating with landlords, lenders, family members and support agencies to prevent homelessness wherever possible.
• Supporting vulnerable customers through complex and often challenging circumstances.
• Carrying out home visits and customer appointments across the county.
• Working collaboratively with partner organisations, including social care services, health services, voluntary organisations and housing providers.
• Managing casework from initial enquiry through to resolution, ensuring customers receive a professional, responsive service.
• Maintaining accurate records and handling sensitive information in line with data protection requirements

We are seeking someone who is:

Customer focused, empathetic and committed to delivering excellent service.

• Confident in assessing individual circumstances and identifying practical solutions.
• Able to make sound decisions based on evidence, policy and legislation.
• Resilient and able to remain professional when working with people in difficult or distressing situations.
• An effective communicator with strong negotiation and relationship‑building skills.
• Organised, self-motivated and able to manage a varied caseload.

What you will bring:

• Resilience, empathy and patience to support customers who may be experiencing difficult and challenging circumstances.
• Flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing priorities within a busy, customer-focused environment.
• Excellent IT skills and confidence using a range of systems and digital tools.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with customers and partners.
• The ability to work independently, using your own initiative to make informed decisions.
• A collaborative approach and the ability to work effectively as part of a supportive team.
• A customer-focused mindset, with a commitment to delivering high‑quality advice and support.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Housing Options Service and relevant housing legislation (desirable).
• A good general understanding of housing issues and the challenges faced by those seeking housing support.

Working days to be discussed during the recruitment process, however, you will be required to participate in our out of hours service including weekends (on a rota basis) to respond to homelessness emergencies throughout Selby, including incidents in temporary accommodation, to which you will be paid additionally.

You will be based in Selby locality, however you will be required to travel across the locality to carry out home visits as required and to travel to other offices within North Yorkshire to attend meetings and training.

Key Documents

Job Description

Total Rewards Brochure

Key Dates:

Closing Date: 5th October 2026

Interview Date: W/C 19th October 2026

Venue for Interview: Civic Centre, Selby