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Original poster

Housing help

207 replies

Love29 · 15/08/2017 21:42

Long story I have been on the Council list (Basildon) bidding for the last 3 years to get me and my son our own place, I've now gone down as homeless and am currently in a hostel waiting for temporary acc. Once in my temp place I will continue to bid on a perm place but will be in a higher band, my fear is that I have to put 2 bids in and if there's a week where not so nice places come up ie 6th floor flat rough area, no garden arc comes up and I don't bid the Council will now put bids in for me. I know I should be grateful for any where but I still have the right to a home that I would like as I've been able to chose what I've bid on for the last 3 years so has any one been in this situation what's the chances I'll get the properties I bid on over getting one they bid on for me

OP posts:
MinorRSole · 15/08/2017 23:29

The rules are slightly different here. We had to be housed quickly after our private landlord went bust and the house was repossessed. However there is no bidding system where we are, you just get offered the next available house when you reach the top of the list. I think you are allowed to turn down 1 but if you turn down a second you get put to the bottom of the list.

Like you we pay our own rent but I never found the lack of choice unreasonable. I had new twins and the stress of potentially being homeless was awful. They offered this house and we bit their hands off! Took ages to clean & decorate to a reasonable standard but it's home and we love it.

Just bid on 2 a week that aren't hideous and make the best of the one you get.

whatacowsheis · 15/08/2017 23:31

@x2boys or literate ones by the looks of thingsConfused

Ilovechocolate111 · 15/08/2017 23:31

Sweet some of us can't afford to by a forever home....

Letstryagainshallwe · 15/08/2017 23:32

My mum is in a 3 bed as is my ex they both have had no pressure to move out, the bedroom tax only applies to those receiving benefits.

MumIsRunningAMarathon · 15/08/2017 23:33

No Anne social housing is not a 'forever home'
It's all changing

RaspberryRuffless · 15/08/2017 23:34

What was your living situation before becoming homeless? Just because you said before you went homeless you spent 3 yeas bidding and picking properties you liked. Could you have not continued living there which would mean you'd have more of a choice of where you bid?

The problem when you are classed as homeless is the council see it as just giving you a safe and secure place to live. Which is the right thing to do. Genuinely homeless people, who want help from the council have to take what's offered.

I lived in a temporary flat (high rise) with my son 11 years ago. Then moved into another permanent flat in a rough area. Eventually I left and rented privately. I'm back in council now and have a lovely house, but I had a flat before this and did a house exchange. So keep in mind you can always do an exchange.

Ilovechocolate111 · 15/08/2017 23:34

Changing... not changed!

HelenaDove · 15/08/2017 23:35

Yes it is changing MumIs

And you can hardly contain your glee.

AnneGrommit · 15/08/2017 23:36

I agree that it's amazing how the situation can look different once you're living it. You make it work. I would never have considered the place we live in to be suitable for us but I've worked hard to make it nice, have great neighbours and found that certain things re the area that I hadn't even thought about really benefit us. Plus the sheer relief of having a secure home that is ours forever is truly incredible. I hope it works out as well for you OP.

MumIsRunningAMarathon · 15/08/2017 23:37

Haha Helena I'm in social housing myself, I get the 'newsletters' ....

I got what I was given and made the best of it, same as many here

Akire · 15/08/2017 23:38

It depends on tenancy, a lot of older ones as long as you pay the rent no one bothers. But if you get housing benefit and have a spare room you get hit by bedroom tax. That was one big bug bears about it, if it was just to free up the most bedrooms it would have applied to older people as well as those who paid the rent themselves.

Some areas offer fixed 5-10y tenancy now so they can see what your space and financial needs are after but often older ones mean you could theory stay in 4bed as a single pensioner for many years after you out grew it.

HelenaDove · 15/08/2017 23:39

Im in a social housing one bedroom flat and have been since 1994.

Im childfree by choice so have never needed a bigger place.

Ilovechocolate111 · 15/08/2017 23:41

Mumis...
So your in a council house. Yes..?
So i take it you'll be leaving soon then?....
As it's not YOUR forever home? But I'm sure your won't end up in a hostel or homeless? Your day will come.!

PlayOnWurtz · 15/08/2017 23:44

They do get the old people eventually when they need housing adaptations like wet rooms doing. They refuse to do the work on the grounds that the property is a family home but offer them a nice 1 bed flat in a managed scheme instead that's better suited to their needs

MumIsRunningAMarathon · 15/08/2017 23:44

No love. It's not my 'forever home'. I was s single mum on benefits but not anymore

We ideally will buy a place one day

My day will come, yes. Or I could buy this house as we have the right to acquire. Or could just stay as we are as we have an older tenancy

AnneGrommit · 15/08/2017 23:45

The bedroom tax is just nasty. Those people's rent was covered by their benefits - the property doesn't suddenly increase in rentable value according to how many people occupy it. Plus there is in many areas a shortage of two bedroom properties. There certainly is where we are. So there isn't even anywhere for them to move into.

What happens instead here is that they end up going private for their two bed which costs several hundreds more a month in rent and the difference is made up by housing benefit. So it actually ends up costing more money.

BrieAndChilli · 15/08/2017 23:45

The problem is especially in the south east is that there just are not enough properties for everyone who wants one. Hell there aren't enough properties for the people that NEED them, the council can't just magic up 3 bed semis in nice areas for everybody.
At the end of the day theu have a duty to provide you with a roof over your head (if you are unable to provide that for yourself like most people have to do) that roof just needs to be secure and fit to live in, it's not a fancy brochure where you get to pick and choose, if you are homeless than surely any home is better than none.
We were on the council list (in Wales) and because we were renting a house big enough for our family and paying our private rent on time after a couple of years we got a letter saying we were being taken off the list as the waiting list was so long we basically didn't have a hope in hell of ever getting a property as there were so many more people on the list with greater need so we have to make do with private renting. Luckily we chose well and went with a career landlord who has loads and loads of properties and so will unlikely ever want his house back (unlike accidental landlords who eventually might want to move back in or sell the property)

Yes I'd love to pay half the amount of rent than we currently do and have a secure tenancy.

People aren't on thier high horses they are just stating facts - councils only have a limited supply of houses and at the moment you are taking up emergency accomadation that they need to free up for the next family who become homeless.

Ilovechocolate111 · 15/08/2017 23:46

So count your lucky stars then love. Cuz some of us don't have the privilege to buy or even LIVE in a house.!

MumIsRunningAMarathon · 15/08/2017 23:46

I've already done the homeless hostel thing.... I remember how grateful I was when I got our first house

Ilovechocolate111 · 15/08/2017 23:49

So have many of us. Some of us have had it really hard.. begging and pleading for a nice home. Not something inadequate! Come on the op asked if she was being unreasonable for home not some flat 8 stories up with kids... and you think she being unreasonable.. piss off love your just one of the lucky ones then!

museypants · 15/08/2017 23:49

OP mamy of us don't have a choice but to private rent because council lists are so long and we wouldn't have a home otherwise. Your disparaging comments about private renters show a lack of knowledge regarding the state of social/private renting in the UK right now

AnneGrommit · 15/08/2017 23:50

I was grateful too but I don't think that means that people should be entirely stripped of any sense of self determination.

MumIsRunningAMarathon · 15/08/2017 23:50

Haha love....er,no! You know what? I'll not 'piss off'

Ok? Tough if it isn't

MumIsRunningAMarathon · 15/08/2017 23:51

brie yes, I've heard that some lists are that long they remove you

Ilovechocolate111 · 15/08/2017 23:57

Mumis..... what is that makes your feel like you can belittle people cuz you got a nice little stash of money so you can buy your home? Or because your got a home and the op hasn't? Huh? Why are your better than anyone else on here.? Tell me I'm interested?
Just one question I would like to ask you... Why do we pay national insurance for?!