Housing Emergency Support Team

Lewisham Homes and Lewisham Council believe that everybody has the right to live safely and peacefully in their home and in the borough. This includes being free from any kind of abuse or harassment.

Abuse or harassment can refer to physical, verbal or violent behaviour for reasons of race, religion, sexuality or age. These are known as race or hate crimes, and include domestic violence and sexual harassment.

If you are a victim of any kind of race or hate crime, the Council's Housing Emergency Support Team (HEST) is here to help. When you are unable to report the abuse or harassment to your local housing office – in the evenings, at weekends or on Bank Holidays – the HEST team are available to offer support, assistance, advice or counselling.

 

HEST can help the victims of harassment and abuse in many ways. The team can:

• Give advice over the telephone
• Arrange to visit you to find out more
• Arrange for emergency repairs to be carried out, if necessary
• Provide witness and victim support
• Provide information on the action that the Council can take against the people who are harassing you, including legal action
• Provide you with diary books to record incidents of persistent offenders
• Contact other agencies and support groups on your behalf

 

• To respond to all calls within one hour.
• To carry out a home visit when agreed, within two hours.
• To refer your case to the Housing Office, or the Anti-social Behaviour Action Team for private sector cases.
• To send you a letter confirming that your case has been referred.
• To provide information leaflets on HEST, victim and witness support.