Temporary accommodation refusal.

[Toomanybrokentarts]

I've been living in temporary accommodation for two years now with my two dcs, as the house I lived in before was privately let and the landlord wanted the property back.
Today I have been offered another temporary flat on the 19th floor of a tower block, as again the property I am in is private but let to the council to rent out for temporary accommodation as the flats are being demolished.
Now the council have a duty to house me so have no choice but to find me suitable accommodation, however is this place suitable & am I able to refuse it?

I know there are people who are worse off than me and I shouldn't really complain as I have a roof over my head
But I just can't live that high up, what's pissing me off the most is that my housing officer found a more suitable property two weeks ago, she secured it for me went on holiday and left instructions for a colleague to call me in to sign the tenancy, which she didn't do so I ended up losing out on that flat.
So does anyone know if I refuse it would they still have a duty of care towards me?

If you refuse they can discharge their duty to you.

Why don't you want to live in the tower block? I'm not sure but you could be classified as intentionally homeless if you refuse accom

Because I have two young children and I don't want to live on the 19th floor, if it was lower I would have absoulty no problem.

oldguy even if the reason I have to move is of no fault of my own?
I mean if the flat I live in now wasn't be demolished, I would have been here until they found me a permanent place.

Ok
I still don't know why not; I assume there's a lift?
Anyway I think if you say no then the council doesn't have a duty

I think you need to so ask to shelter ASAP.

Contact Shelter:

england.shelter.org.uk/get_help

I've said twice why not shoxfordian

It depends on the council. My local council give you three options. So you can see one and decline it then they show you another one and so on but they dismiss any duty if you refuse no 3

Shox

You made me laugh at the thought of 19 flights of stairs ever time you wanted to go in or out!

I think what shoxfordian wants to know is are you saying you can't live there because it's too high up? I'm not sure that's reasonable, you're lucky to have a home i'm not sure you can complain what floor it's on unless there's a genuine reason why you can't live high up?

I think that only applies if its a permanent property I am being offered loony

Plenty of people live in tower blocks, plenty of people with children live in tower blocks. Plenty of people can't even get a hostel bed so yes you are being unreasonable.

Its a home for you and your children. There is plenty about my home I don't like but I don't have the ability financially or logistically to change it. Thats life.

At my local council you can refuse 2 properties then it's tough luck on the 3rd one. Worth ringing the housing department and asking? If your flats are being demolished they will have to rehouse you when the evictions are made regardless surely?

There must be a lift?

Well yes, that's what it says in my op.
It also says in my op that I know I'm lucky to have a roof over my head, but is it really that unreasonable to not want to live that high up?

You can submit a suitability review and an independent officer will assess if the offer is acceptable or if the property is unsuitable. If it's found to be unsuitable and you refuse, the council may decide to discharge full housing duty to you - which will mean they won't house you permanently - or they may decide to discharge interim duty towards you - which means you'd have to make your own temporary accommodation arrangements but they would still help you to move permanently.

What’s wrong with 19th floor compared to 3rd. You’d still use the lift, I don’t understand why having young kids makes living high up a concern?

I am fairly sure my council put you up in a B&B until they find you something. Some of the families I have worked with were relocated to a hotel outside of their borough, miles away from their DCs school. Though I don’t think they refused anything, the council hadn’t made an offer yet. If you make yourself intentionally homeless then it’s probably your responsibility to find shelter. Have you visited the flat yet?

yes it is unreasonable, it's somewhere to live. It's high up, why does that even matter? are you afraid of heights or just being picky?

whats the alternative?

what's pissing me off the most is that my housing officer found a more suitable property two weeks ago, she secured it for me went on holiday and left instructions for a colleague to call me in to sign the tenancy, which she didn't do so I ended up losing out on that flat.

Is there no recourse to this? Because that's a pretty massive fuck-up.

Talk to shelter. I dont understand whats the difference between 17th floor and 2nd. Same front door. I lived on 6th floor once and loved visiting the 9th as best view ever!

On what grounds is it unreasonable?

Unless you would be at risk in some way if you lived there, I think you would struggle to find good grounds for refusing. If the rent was unaffordable or you were terrified of heights, those might be considered reasonable grounds for refusal.

Things like being too far from the children's school definitely aren't (they expect you to change schools).

Sunday I'm already in temporary accommodation and have been for two years, so I've already been through all of what you mentioned, including having to change ds1 school which in itself was difficult to do, as I can be moved at anytime.

spice yes I am quite scared of heights, I'm also scared that my child may fall out of a window. It may sound irrational to you and many others but that is how I feel. When I was told about the property today I went into full panic mode, i have quite serious anxiety and have been worrying all day.