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Scheduled Maintenance Notice 09 July and 10 July 2026

Please note that some systems may be unavailable on 09 July and 10 July 2026. We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

Duty to Refer

Public authorities in England now have a duty to refer homeless persons to housing authorities.

There is a duty on specified public authorities to refer service users who they think may be homeless or threatened with homelessness within 56 days to the local authority homelessness/housing options teams.

Before making a referral, a public authority must make sure that they:

  • have consent from the individual to refer them;
  • allow the individual to identify the housing authority in England which they would like the notification to be made to; and
  • have consent from the individual to supply their contact details to the council, so the housing authority can contact them regarding the referral.

Referrals

To make a referral, go to the Referral Portal; Duty to Refer and complete the form.

Alternatively, you can email us directly on dutytorefer@hertsmere.gov.uk.