Contact your council
Ask for the homelessness or housing-options team. In England, councils must help if you are legally homeless or likely to become homeless within 8 weeks.
Find your council and options →
HOUSING HELP
If your housing situation has become urgent, start here.
If you are homeless, at risk of losing your home, sofa surfing, sleeping rough or struggling to find somewhere that will accept your pet, these organisations may be able to help.
Explain anything that makes your situation urgent
Tell them if you have children, are at risk of violence or abuse, have health or disability needs, or have nowhere safe to stay.
Mention your pet from the start
Do not assume you have to give up your pet. Specialist organisations can help with pet-friendly accommodation, veterinary care and temporary support.
IF HOME IS UNSAFE
Specialist help for different situations
You do not need to fit neatly into one category. Choose the page that feels closest to what is happening, and use more than one service if that is useful.
Domestic abuse & housing
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If a partner, ex-partner or family member is making home unsafe, including help if you are worried about leaving a pet behind.
LGBTQ+ housing & safety
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Support if rejection, abuse, discrimination or a hostile home environment is putting your housing at risk.
Young people with nowhere safe to stay
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Help if you have been asked to leave, are sofa surfing, leaving care or simply do not know what your housing rights are.
Forced marriage or family-based abuse
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Confidential help if family pressure, threats, forced marriage or so-called honour-based abuse is making you feel unsafe.
GENERAL HOUSING SUPPORT
Organisations that can help
Use the service that best matches your situation. Coverage and eligibility vary, so follow the organisation’s latest guidance.
Housing advice
Shelter
Expert housing advice if you are homeless, have nowhere to stay, are facing eviction or are worried about losing your home.
Visit service Homelessness supportCrisis
Support with finding and keeping a home, accessing local-authority help, benefits, employment and wellbeing through Crisis services.
Visit service Rights & moneyCitizens Advice
Practical guidance on homelessness, housing rights, council help, benefits, debt and finding somewhere to live.
Visit service Find local servicesHomeless England
Homeless Link’s searchable directory of homelessness services in England, including accommodation, advice and local support projects.
Visit service Sleeping roughStreetLink
Connect yourself or someone sleeping rough in England or Wales with local authority and outreach support services.
Visit service Young people 16–25Centrepoint
Housing advice and support for young people who are homeless, sofa surfing, sleeping rough or at risk of losing their home.
Visit serviceIF YOU HAVE A PET
Help that understands the human–animal bond
Housing problems can be even harder when accommodation will not accept an animal. These organisations specifically support people and pets through difficult circumstances.
Dogs & homelessness
Dogs Trust — Together Through Homelessness
Specialist support for dog owners experiencing homelessness, including free veterinary help and a directory of dog-friendly homelessness services.
See how they can help Veterinary supportStreetVet
UK charity helping people experiencing homelessness access veterinary care and practical support for their pets, with a focus on keeping people and animals together.
See how they can help London pet supportMayhew
Works with homelessness organisations in London, provides community pet support and runs Pet Refuge for pets whose owners are facing a crisis.
See how they can help
IF IT IS ALL GETTING TOO MUCH
You can talk to someone as well.
Housing problems can be exhausting and overwhelming. If you need a confidential conversation, Samaritans are available day or night. You do not need to be at a particular point of crisis to contact them.
Samaritans116 123Free to call
Contact Samaritans
WHAT PAW KEYS CAN DO
When you are ready to look for a pet-friendly home
Paw Keys is not an emergency accommodation or homelessness service. We can, however, help you search for homes that clearly welcome pets, create a free property alert, or post what you and your pet need so landlords and agents can see genuine demand.
Information checked August 2026. Paw Keys links to independent third-party organisations and does not control their availability, eligibility rules or response times. Some services are nation- or area-specific.