Homeless and impossible to find accommodation

[LadiesFinishFights]

My friend is currently homeless.

She has no family and no where she can stay.

She has had a job since 17. Last 3 were managerial jobs in retail.

She has a long history of private renting with excellent refences.

She's found herself homeless due to a relationship breakdown brought on by illness.

So she is now on ESA with the extra element for illness.

She is in a womens hostel.

They say she isn't likely to get a council property. There aren't any. And the waiting list is huge. She's been moved 3 times to different hostels with a few hours notice.

Each time she's being moved further away from her support network and GP.

She is not allowed to refuse to go as its claseed as refusing temporary accommodation so they will no longer have an obligation to house her if she says she doesn't want to go.

This morning I've phoned 6 estate agents.

Not one had a SINGLE property that accepts housing benefit.

Unless she can pay 6 months upfront. Which of course she can't.

I'm sat here crying.

She can't live with me. She did for a while but it got too much and that's when she declared herself homeless.
If she stayed with friends she would lose her chance to be homed by the council.

But I don't know what they want her to do? I don't understand what the endgame is.

They just keep telling her to look for private. But there is nothing.

She already tried to hurt herself earlier this year. I'm so scared for her.

She's a lovely lady. Doesn't drink or smoke. Never been in trouble for anything. Has always worked.

It's just so sad.

Sorry hit post too soon.

I meant to say has anyone had any experience with this and did they manage to get housed eventually?

www.crisis.org.uk/ending-homelessness/housing-resource-centre/prs-database/

Try putting the city she is in in there. It’ll come up with charities etc that may help with deposits and rent up front

Would you or could you be prepared to act as guarantor?

Some landlords may accept her then.

I’m in a similar position. LL is selling up but my circumstances have changed since I started renting this house (single parent- have become full time carer to dc with disability so can no longer work) despite excellent reference from current landlords, plus him giving me my deposit back early, I can find nowhere that will accept us in our area. I have 2 dc in middle of GCSEs/Alevels plus younger child with disability who has a huge outside agency support network to help with his needs which I absolutely can’t give up as will be to the detriment of his progress. Rock and hard place.

Are there any local supported social housing schemes? Originally designed as retirement complexes they tend to now also be open to vulnerable tenants as take up has declined. Usually smaller units with communal outdoor areas.

where in the country is she? would she be able to get a room in a shared house?

In my area you are more likely to get a private let that accepts HB on gumtree, have you tried that?

She already has a housing officer who said if she finds private they will pay fees, deposit and first month's rent. But no where accepts housing benefit.

So it's a stale mate.

Re shared house he is currently being moved to a temporary shared house but she just wants her own place. Just a little studio flat.

Hi. Northwood seem to be more lenient with housing benefit. I managed to get a two bed on housing benefit with them x

Open rent? I’ve seen quite a few that accept housing benefit (in London and Surrey)

I used to be a landlord. I’d have happily taken someone on benefits but I couldn’t as doing so voided both my insurance and mortgage agreement. They’d made that decision because the government decided they would no longer pay direct to landlords and started advising tenants issued noticed to wait to be evicted through the courts. Those two factors ‘solved’ one problem by temporarily slowing the rate of people needing help finding housing but ultimately caused huge issues and basically stopped private landlords taking anyone on benefits as it raised the risk profile to an unacceptable level.

Can she not go for a house share first off op? Maybe aim lower than her own place?

Does the illness you mention stop her from working at all? Could she apply for jobs that include accommodation?

www.turn2us.org.uk/Get-Support is a good site to find additional help.

It might be best for her to think of that studio flat as the next step after this one, and just focus on getting something functional (shared house/room as a lodger) as an interim solution until that opportunity comes along.

Im so very sorry for your friend op. It makes my blood boil that people can fall through the net like this in a so-called civilised society.

I'm assuming she's in London as all the landlords take benefits here (or they wouldn't have any customers!) As hard as it is, she may need to look much further afield which will work in her favour when she returns to work as rent is so much cheaper. Typical flat rent here is £3-400 a month, bedsits are less. If there's a shortage of housing getting a landlord to accept benefits is really hard

No not London. Not even down south.

She can't work.

She's always worked so it's very hard for her to be relying on benefits but she has no choice.

Found a property that will accept Housing benefit but they want a homeowner as a guarantor. But we don't know anyone that can do it

So fed up.