Temporary accommodation

Types of temporary accommodation

Greyfriars House

Greyfriars House (PDF, 1 MB) is a 27 bedroomed hostel in Perth city centre which the Council owns. The hostel provides temporary accommodation for single homeless men and women. It is a direct access facility. Residents at Greyfriars House have access to a range of support from staff, including social workers.

Greyfriars House is also the base for the emergency homeless service which offers advice and assistance to people needing access to homeless services outwith normal working hours. The emergency homeless team can be contacted at Greyfriars House, 55 Princes Street, Perth, or by phoning freephone number 0800 917 0708.

You can watch a video walk through of the facilities available at Greyfriars House:

Temporary accommodation management and support

Additional to Greyfriars House we have a range of self-contained properties that we can use as temporary accommodation.  You will be let the accommodation by the local Housing Officer who will visit on a regular basis but you will also be allocated a Support Officer who can help with more focused tenancy and housing support.

We will ask you to pay for storage services. The charge will vary depending on the amount of furniture needs to be stored. We will also take into account your financial circumstances and ability to pay.

Can you help me with transport?

We know that in a crisis situation travel to the place you stay or to appointments is a big issue. To help with that the Homeless Service has introduced a bus travel vouchers scheme. In emergency situations outwith normal working hours we can arrange a taxi for you.

What will happen to my pets?

You may be able to keep your pet with you if you are accommodated in the hostel of a self-contained flat.  This is looked at on an individual basis and you will need to seek written permission first.  For further details about this you can speak with a member of staff.

Other providers

Additionally, there is a range of supported hostels and individual & group living places managed by external providers. They have around 90 placements and 16 satellite flats. We can use these hostels for temporary accommodation if required, however, the use of these hostels is for more settled accommodation.

Charges for temporary accommodation

Everyone living in temporary accommodation will have to pay for it. The cost will depend on the type of accommodation offered, but if you stay in one of our temporary flats you pay the same rent as a Council tenancy which is around £60 to £70 per week. However, if you stay in Greyfriars or supported accommodation the rent is slightly higher and there is also a service charge applied. We'll always tell you how much your place will cost before you move in.

The rent and service charge you pay for temporary accommodation covers:

• rent
• furniture (if you need it)
• repairs & maintenance
• support, advice & assistance we give you
• other services regarding resettling and solving your homelessness.

Can I get any help to pay for my accommodation?

If you get a state benefit, most or all of the accommodation charge will be covered by Housing Benefit. We'll ask everyone entering temporary accommodation to complete a housing benefit form to check if they could get it. We can offer support if you need help to fill in the form.