I need help with my housing
Housing support when you need it
We provide free, practical housing support to people across Sussex who may be at risk of losing their home, leaving hospital or experiencing homelessness.
Southdown has more than 50 years’ experience in housing and support. We work with local councils, NHS services and community partners to help people address immediate housing problems, understand their options and move towards a safer, more settled future.
Our teams can also help with some of the wider challenges affecting your housing, such as money worries, mental health, relationships and managing a tenancy.
The support available and how you access it depend on where you live and your circumstances. Choose the situation that best describes you below.
Choose your situation:
I'm worried about losing my home
Get support with housing problems, managing your tenancy and preventing homelessness.
I'm leaving a mental health inpatient service
Find out about housing and support to help you leave hospital safely.
I'm sleeping rough
Find outreach support if you are sleeping rough in East Sussex.
I'm a Southdown tenant
Find help with repairs, rent, safety in your home and your tenancy.
Help to keep your home
Adur & Worthing, Crawley and Horsham
Pathways Home provides short-term housing support to adults and families across West Sussex.
The service is funded by West Sussex County Council and the seven district and borough councils in the county.
We help people resolve housing problems, prevent homelessness and live independently. Support is shaped around your circumstances, strengths and goals.
Where needed, we work with housing, health, social care and other services to help address connected support needs.
How we can help:
We can support you to:
- manage your tenancy and prevent homelessness
- understand and address housing problems
- settle into a new home
- manage money, benefits and household bills
- connect with other services that may be able to help
Who can access Pathways Home?
The service supports single adults aged 18 and over and families who need help to maintain independent living or prevent homelessness.
Questions about Pathways Home?
For general or professional enquiries about the service, contact:
Fiona Mazzucchiello, Team Manager
07458 034461
Please note that requests for support and referrals must still be made through your local council’s Housing Options team.
From hospital to home
Brighton and Hove
Discharge to Assess provides up to six weeks of tailored support for adults in Brighton & Hove who are ready to leave, or at risk of admission to, an acute mental health ward.
Delivered in partnership with Brighton & Hove City Council and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, the service helps people return to their own home or move safely into the community. Temporary, self-contained furnished accommodation can also be provided where needed.
How we can help
We can support people to:
- secure or keep suitable accommodation;
- prepare for leaving hospital and moving into the community;
- manage their home, daily living and mental health recovery; and
- reconnect with services and community support.
A dedicated Housing Specialist works alongside clients and mental health teams to address housing needs before discharge.
Who can access the service?
The service is available to adults aged 18 and over who live in Brighton & Hove and are receiving treatment on an acute mental health ward or are at risk of admission.
It is intended for people with medium to low support needs who can live independently.
Staff are not based at the accommodation and cannot administer medication.
Help for people sleeping rough
East Sussex
Our outreach team works with people who are sleeping rough across East Sussex.
Our outreach team works across East Sussex — Eastbourne, Lewes, Wealden, Hastings, and Rother. We go out early in the morning and late at night to find people sleeping rough and offer a way into housing.
What we do
- Find and engage with people sleeping rough.
- Help people understand and access housing and other support.
- Provide practical support as people move towards more settled accommodation.
Highlighting compassion
It’s not about forcing people to make changes, it’s about being there when they are ready.
The Team Manager for Southdown’s Assertive Outreach and Move On Team in East Sussex, shares how his team supports people sleeping rough to take steps towards positive change. His story highlights the compassion and persistence behind Southdown’s homelessness services.
Other housing options
Looking for a different type of housing or support?
Choose what fits your situation, or get in touch if you’re not sure.
I need a home
Explore Southdown's long-term and short-term housing options and find out how homes are allocated.
Explore housing optionsShared ownership through HOLD
Find out how eligible people with long-term disabilities can explore a route into home ownership.
Explore HOLDHomes and support for people with learning disabilities
Explore supported living shaped around each person's needs, choices and independence.
Explore learning disability supportHousing problems can affect your wellbeing
Worry about losing a home, homelessness and moving between services can have a significant effect on mental health. Southdown provides a range of mental health and wellbeing services across Sussex.