Principals

There are a few important principals surrounding the use of EMTA voids. If you are considering placing someone please ensure that the following principals are met.

• That you have tried other avenues first to secure temporary accommodation (e.g through the temporary accommodation team, through friends or relatives etc).
• That the void will be used as emergency accommodation. These are not to be seen as an “offer” or viewings arranged for some time in the future. If someone requests a viewing “next week” for example you should ask yourself the question whether your case is a true emergency.
• The EMTA is for short term use only. They are not meant to provide a medium or long term solution. It is not fair on your resident, other colleagues, or other residents for your resident to allow to remain with no plan in place to move on to a permanent home.
• If you are considering placing a resident into EMTA you must ensure that there is a move on plan in place agreed with your resident and that they understand that the EMTA is not somewhere they can stay indefinitely.
• A move into EMTA is not a like for like move. Many have been furnished with sofa beds to provide extra bedspace. Do not move your resident into larger accommodation than they need or currently have. This is to avoid circumstances where people then refuse to move on as they feel they are now adequately housed.
• The incoming resident will be expected to sign an inventory of the EMTA furnishings which they will agree with their NHO.
• All moves into EMTA must be agreed by a Landlord services manager.
• A case worker (normally the resident’s NHO) should continue to work with the resident and will be expected to attend the weekly matching meetings and provide feedback to monitoring meetings.
• Ensure that your resident is aware that they will need to continue to pay rent for their secure address and, unlike hotels, that utilities and council tax for the EMTA will need to be covered by them (see also section on Heat meters).
• Upon vacation the NHO (whose resident was occupant) will do the post vacation inspection to check the inventory that was signed at sign up and recharge the tenant for any broken (not caused by wear and tear) or missing furniture.
• The same NHO will arrange replacement furniture.