The term ‘homeless’ applies to people who are living on the street or in short-term temporary accommodation. Reasons you can be declared ‘homeless’ or ‘likely to become homeless’ include:

- You do not have anywhere to sleep tonight (you are ‘roofless’).
- You are threatened with becoming ‘roofless’ within the next 28 days.
- You have no legal right to occupy your home and you have been asked to leave by the landlord or householder within the next 28 days.
- You have a legal right to occupy your home, but have been illegally evicted by your landlord.
- You live in ‘moveable’ accommodation, such as a caravan or boat and do not have anywhere to park or moor it.
- You can show that it is ‘not reasonable’ to carry on living in your present accommodation because of overcrowding, harassment from your landlord, or if the Council has declared it unfit for habitation, for example.
- You are living in fear of violence

– including domestic violence, racial or homophobic harassment, or threats from your landlord.