How likely is council housing after notice in Devon?

[CharlottePotatoes]

How likely is my friend to get a council house? Her landlord gave her notice which runs until July 31st. She’s retired, married, with two adult children at home. Council put them on band C for priority.

She doesn’t want to even consider looking for a private rental and seems adamant the council will house her. She’s in Devon (I’m not) I wondered if there are more homes there? I’m quite worried about her.

Private rental wise she has no credit rating, guarantor or deposit but has said she’s considering asking for her deposit back early to leave her current rental.

Then they are breaking the government guidelines which state it is unreasonable for a council to expect a tenant to stay beyond the date of a section 21 possession order.

Disgusting that they are doing that

S21’s are irrelevant as they stopped on 1st May and the OP said that her DF has been given notice to leave in July.

@CharlottePotatoeswhats your DF planking on doing with all of their furniture if she’s lucky enough to get temporary accommodation?

She’s got no hope. I have family in Devon been waiting 4 years in temporary housing for a 2 bed.

Here a housing association council would consider mum and dad for an over 60s flat. The children will have to make their own arrangements though.

Even the youngest who has a place at university this September?

People don’t understand the renters right act.

The current section 21 will still be valid and landlord will need to go to court to get possession order.

Local authority will check with landlord and tenant to check the intentions. They can’t force people to wait for baliffs to arrive if the notice has expired and landlord is clear they will go court.

However not everyone is priority need. They should be aware that any interim accommodation may not be ideal. It may also be expensive if they have adult non dependents who are working.

Adult children are better off resolving their own housing need and parents focus on private rents and social housing esp over 55s.

She will need to speak to her local authority about whether the disabilities she and her husband have qualify them for 'priority need', if they do she'll be more likely to be housed but it may be out of area and not very nice, it likely won't include the eldest child, but as the youngest is still in full time education they might be ok. Is it possible for her and her husband to look at over 55s accommodation they usually have the shortest wait list. In my area it's a 10 year+ wait on band C but over 55s you'll get something even if not ideal

My concern is there isn’t a plan. She’s adamant the council will come through at the last minute.

Thanks I will pass that on. I think she hears temporary and believes they might do a few nights in a shared house while something is sorted not years.

There are 4 adults in her household who all capable of sorting themselves out and are chosing not to. I have no idea why you are worrying about it.

Tell her it’s YEARS plus whilst in interim or temp accommodation there are services charges which may well be more than her current costs for electric gas water etc. £270 a month here for families.

Council will have a fund to assist with rent in advance of deposit if it affordable and supports them to find a private rental.

Has she started looking at/ bidding on properties on the Homechoice website? That should give her a blast of reality. If you don't win your bid (likely) they tell you exactly how far down the list you were.

I didn't know there was a "Homes available now" section. I've got a very vivid mental picture of the corners of Plymouth where I suspect the majority of those homes might be 😬

I haven’t shared all of their information to prevent them being identifiable, there are other factors making them very vulnerable. I do appreciate on paper they look like 4 working age adults and have explained to her several times the council might take the same view (they do have additional factors that have pushed them into band C though)

The kids certainly could contribute but they are reluctant to ask

She doesn't want to ask her adult children to contribute towards the household expenses so she thinks the council should house them all instead?

I presume so but I’m meeting her next week and did plan to ask directly. She talks about the council offering her something when I think she should be bidding?

Yes, this is part of the problem

Eh? You do realise that council flats aren’t free, don’t you?!

Yeah, if Devon works on a bidding system (as confirmed by PP), she does need to be bidding, and checking the Homechoice website weekly!

It sounds as if she doesn't really understand how social housing is allocated nowadays.

One thing that might- might work in her favour is if she lives in a village where they're building more social housing which is earmarked for local residents first and foremost. That's how I got my house.

She has in the past struggled navigating systems like this. I want to help her but make sure I’m not overstepping or being patronising, it seems from replies it wouldn’t be a bad idea to push her on the details though.

Yeah, ask her if she can log in to Homechoice and you can have a look together because you're nosy about what's out there. That could lead into a conversation about how it all works.

If they are very vulnerable then the best bet is for them to contact social services and get a social worker to support them.

Yes they did have a support worker years ago, I’m meeting her soon and can ask if that’s still in place, and nosing on home voice with her is a great idea too. There don’t appear to be any homes with 3 beds in Devon atm.

That’s because homes are advertised Wednesday to Monday each week and then bidding closes.