Applying as homeless to local councils Local councils have a responsibility to provide temporary accommodation and help find long-term accommodation for some people who are homeless if they apply for help. They only have to help those who are: legally homeless or threatened with homelessness within 28 days (i.e. they have nowhere in the world where they can reasonably live); and in priority need (because there is an eligible child, pregnant woman or vulnerable person in the household); and are not intentionally homeless (for example, failing to pay rent or giving up a home where you reasonably could have lived); and either: ave a local connection with the council's area (such as work, previous residence or family members living there) no connection with any area. For those who 'fail' these tests, there may be some other help offered. For example: councils have to ensure that housing advice is available free of charge to anyone in their district who needs it, whether they are eligible, in priority need, intentionally homeless or not eople who are not in priority need can still get some priority on the housing register eople judged to be intentionally homeless must be offered a limited period in temporary accommodation eople who have a local connection with another council's area will be referred to that area for further help. Applications for homelessness help can be made to any council in England and Wales. If the council has reason to believe that the applicant may be eligible, homeless and