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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think council housing is a last resort

149 replies

nailak · 08/05/2013 20:03

we have been given notice, everyone keeps saying go to council, but i don't want to deal with the uncertainty of being in temporary accommodation and not having a choice over where i live and so on, even though in the long run after a few years we would probably be better off once i am housed an am settled in a new area (which takes a couple of years to make friends). Am i being precious? Obviously we need like 3k for deposit and first months rent and we dont have that so need to find it etc, and if we have no choice then i will have to go down this route. But absolutely as a last resort. aibu?

OP posts:

usualsuspect · 09/05/2013 17:56

You are wrong.

Plenty of people who live in so SH work.

Good luck to them I say.

Moan about private LLs and short term let's if you want to sort the housing situation out.

Dinkysmummy · 09/05/2013 17:57

I'm sure you are having fun there expat

Keep twisting...I'm sure I've said something else in there you can take offence to

Dinkysmummy · 09/05/2013 17:57

Forget it...

I'm wrong...

I apologise

Flame me shoot me

I'm done

expatinscotland · 09/05/2013 17:58

Exactly, usual. Well-put.

AmberLeaf · 09/05/2013 18:08

No it isn't for single parents but it is not for those who wouldn't meet the criteria if they told the truth and said they lived with their partners

Lived where with their partners?

IneedAsockamnesty · 09/05/2013 22:02

Well I was going to jump in and explain the rules and the actual law regarding social housing but I now see I don't need to.

So on that note I'm off for a nice cup of tea and a snooze.

amber as you were,your doing well

mrsjay · 09/05/2013 22:07

I think dinkys situation just shows how bad social housing has got I dont think it is the same in all areas though the criteria isn't like that everywhere although social housing is like hens teeth and anybody who gets offered one and doesn't take it is a loon ,

mrsjay · 09/05/2013 22:09

so if people work they cant have a CH or go to d disney world what

Original poster

nailak · 09/05/2013 22:24

ok andu I was thinking about using that money to pay for deposit for next place as it would help me out, is that not clear?

RE rent deposit scheme I did look at it and seems my council has rent bond scheme in which they dont actually give landlord a deposit and i cannot understand why any landlord would take that, i also know finding a landlord who takes the rent bond scheme is a lot harder then finding one which takes dss which is already hard enough. There are hundreds of people on the scheme and only few landlords.

amber thank you, you seem to under stand what I am saying, but it is the lack of control and total sense of being at someone esles whims that terrifies me, it is not easy to get involved and I am scared of ending up like TTTT

Also the things I am doing now I am hoping will lead to paid employment. If I have to move somwehre esle for two years and then somewhere else it is hard to build these links with organisations who will then employ you.

and i know people who have been looking for rent bond scheme and in temporary accomodation for 4+ years.

When I first moved here it took me a couple of years to be at the place I am now. I am scared of having to start over!

As for the poster who said it would be harder for my kids I should think about them, I actually disagree, it is easier for kids to make new friends etc as they are in school every day, for adults it is a lot harder, and if I am depressed and demotivated it will defnitely have negative effect on my kids and family life.

OP posts:

AmberLeaf · 09/05/2013 23:32

How large is your borough? would you be so far away from where you are now? wouldn't you still be able to keep the links you have going currently? I think I remember roughly where you are, but not sure which borough, in my borough, I could get around it whichever part I was in, but I know thats not necessarily possible everywhere.

but it is the lack of control and total sense of being at someone esles whims that terrifies me

That is how I see living in private accommodation!

I really do understand your concerns and I agree it isn't easy to make connections in a new place, but I think you should give yourself some deserved credit. you sound motivated and ambitious.

AmberLeaf · 09/05/2013 23:33

Thanks Sock!

Original poster

nailak · 10/05/2013 00:36

with the choice lettings they can house me across about 4/ 5 boroughs

OP posts:

gadget86 · 10/05/2013 07:57

nailak

Good luck with which ever way you decide to go, it must be a difficult position to be in

Yes SH is a last resort, but if you need it, that is what it is there for

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 10/05/2013 08:05

You do get a choice, you get 3 choices here and then you go to the back of the list, you can also specify a certain amount of areas.

Hope you manage to find something.

AmberLeaf · 10/05/2013 10:32

Are you 100% sure on that Naila?

I know that some of the schemes cover various boroughs but if you are on one boroughs list then you should be bidding on that boroughs properties. There is an option sometimes to go out of borough but not a requirement.

The good thing about the choice based system though is that you can pick properties in the area that suits you.

Original poster

nailak · 10/05/2013 11:13

if you go in emergency accomodation they can house you anywhere, you get 3 choices, but if u reject first 2 have to take 3rd otherwise they wont house u.

OP posts:

AmberLeaf · 10/05/2013 12:29

Choices for what? Temporary accom?

If they have the choice based bidding system, then you would only pick the areas you want.

The other thing I wanted to say was it is better to go through this while your children are still fairly young (not sure how old your eldest is?) As it is easier for the kids to resettle.

IneedAsockamnesty · 10/05/2013 15:51

If its a allocation system rather than a bidding one on the form they ask you what areas your interested in and they don't make an offer outside those. You can also reject with a good reason so if for example it was near a violent ex's family or your child had a genuine reason for not being able to cope with a change of school and the allocation would make your journey more than 90 mins walking you could refuse without penalty.

If its bidding you only bid on ones you want.

Original poster

nailak · 10/05/2013 17:27

But before bidding we would be put in to temporary accommodation, then the average wait for three bed in bidding system is eight to twelve years

OP posts:

AmberLeaf · 10/05/2013 17:48

You wouldn't be in temp accom for 8-12 years.

The avg wait of 8-12 yrs on the bidding system won't apply to those in temp accom.

Original poster

nailak · 10/05/2013 20:43

I Know a lot of people that are in temporary accommodation and have been for that amount of time. They encourage them to get out of temp accommodation and in to private housing n bnd scheme but no landlords take bond scheme. Temp accommodation also tends to be one bedroom less. Out of my friends quite a few have been in temp accommodation for around 4 years. You can only be in b and b for three months but temp accommodation doesn't seem to be limit!

OP posts:

IneedAsockamnesty · 10/05/2013 21:07

But once you have the temp place they don't often move you until you have a allocation. So more secure than most private rentals.

AmberLeaf · 10/05/2013 21:35

Either way, it is a lot more secure and cheaper than private renting.

Staying in private is putting off the inevitable IMO.

A private let will never be a 'forever home' you will have to leave at some point and more than likely it wont be at a time of your choosing.

CharlieUniformNovemberTango · 11/05/2013 00:02

Check with your LA on their temp housing system.

If you're declared homeless and placed in Temp housing in my LA you are in a low priority banding for two years then bumped up to the top band where you will get a bid accepted.

2 years classed as homeless seemed quite routine from what I had read.

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