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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Temporary accommodation refusal.

284 replies

Toomanybrokentarts · 27/02/2018 21:18

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?

OP posts:
JaneEyre70 · 27/02/2018 22:37

I can appreciate your concerns OP but it's a roof over your head and frankly you've been lucky to be offered your own space and not a room in a B & B. Try and see the positives in it instead of the negatives. You will have your own front door to lock, and a place to call home.

Original poster
Toomanybrokentarts · 27/02/2018 22:39

GreenTulips I think you may be right, I'm getting myself completely wound up.

The court order expired on the 8th Feb so I probably have less than 3 weeks before the bailiffs come to secure the property, which is just the protocol.

I was previously offered a place in another block of flats and that one was on the 2nd floor.

duck I live in se london so there are quite a few estates and tower blocks around here.

OP posts:
c75kp0r · 27/02/2018 22:44

If I had the choice I'd rather not be 19 floors up, but it sounds as though the alternative may be the streets.

teaiseverything · 27/02/2018 22:45

Bloody hell. OP is a single mum, working AND studying. I hardly think she's "expecting" anything.

tempester28 · 27/02/2018 22:50

I don't blame you for not wanting to live on the 16th floor. Speak to your housing.g officer I believe you can refuse a certain number of times - possibly once. Get proper advice from shelter. I am surprised people don't understand why you wouldn't want to live on the 16th floor?

Duck90 · 27/02/2018 22:51

So in your location... and the council said okay no the 19th floor, is it not likely that you could be offered another flat relatively high up?

I am very sympathetic to your situation, just wondering what the next step would be. Most temp accommodation will be in high rise?

Original poster
Toomanybrokentarts · 27/02/2018 22:51

Dinosauratemydaffodils
Thank you for that advice, it's what I was looking for.

The main reason I am still here is I got into rent arrears due to a hb mistake which have since been corrected, so i am no longer in debt.
Also my previous housing officer took me off the direct offer and bidding system, he has since been fired for misconduct.
My new housing officer is trying the best she can to rectify all of this as I was supposed to have moved out 1 year ago.

OP posts:
MadMags · 27/02/2018 22:53

Jesus you’ve really had bad luck with these incompetent mistakes!

Runninglateeveryday · 27/02/2018 22:53

So are you on the register or off it? I'm guessing if it was due to rent arrears they say your "intentionally homeless", hate that phrase so only give you temporary.

OfDragonsDeep · 27/02/2018 22:54

Why don't you go to the GP and see if you can get some help for your anxiety? Then it'll be on your records and you'll be able to tell the housing officers & hopefully they'll be sympathetic.

Good luck, I wouldn't want to live on the 19th floor let alone with young children Flowers

SunnySkiesSleepsintheMorning · 27/02/2018 22:54

I totally understand why you wouldn’t want to be on the 19th floor but I’m afraid I do think YABU.

RainbowGlitterFairy · 27/02/2018 22:57

I was told if I refused accommodation I was making myself intentionally homeless and that they only had a duty to house my DC not me, the council sent round a social worker to explain this to me and that it could lead to my DC going into care. I'm not sure if that was council scare tactics or not.

Original poster
Toomanybrokentarts · 27/02/2018 22:57

Not necessarily duck there are some houses and low rise flats, I currently live above a row of shops, which is perfectly reasonable.

OP posts:
TheHungryDonkey · 27/02/2018 22:58

YABU to refuse but YANBU to not want to live there. Being homeless pretty much means taking what’s given. However, given the shit lack of health and safety with some councils and housing associations and the scant regard often afforded social housing tenants, I honestly wouldn’t be keen to live that high up after Grenfell. Surely fire evacuation plans are one of the things people consider when they look at moving. I honestly wouldn’t be keen on the odds that high up, but it all comes down to how desperate you are. We can all pretend you are being unreasonable to have concerns or just be honest.

Ruffian · 27/02/2018 23:00

Some awful responses on this thread, just gratuitously nasty. After the Grenfell disaster people are seriously asking why someone wouldn't want to be on the 19th floor of tower block? With two little children?

Duck90 · 27/02/2018 23:01

That’s hopeful then. Good luck to you. In my experience, working in homelessness, you do only get one offer. But, put forward a good case that this is not a reasonable offer.

Original poster
Toomanybrokentarts · 27/02/2018 23:04

It's not just me madmags

Runninglateeveryday I'm still on the register and have not been, nor will i be made homeless due to rent arrears, so that's a non issue.
I had a bar put on my bidding number due to the rent arrears which were cleared over 1 year ago, however my housing officer at the time didn't reinstate it, so I along with many other tenants have been left in limbo, due to him doing the same thing to them.

OP posts:
Caulk · 27/02/2018 23:07

If your anxiety is so severe, I imagine you must have a lot of support in place. What does your CPN or care coordinator say? Can a therapist or social worker write to explain that you are too unwell currently to live at that height?

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 27/02/2018 23:08

Definitely go and see Shelter, explain all of the above and see if they will write to the LA for you.

Might also be worth adding in that if all those problems (caused by branches of the LA) hadn't arisen you would already have been housed so they wouldn't need to be moving you from one temporary accommodation to another disrupting you and your children once again.

Your MP/local Councillor would be worth a shot especially if the Housing Benefit team took responsibility for the arrears being added on/removed from your account and that your ex housing officer was fired.

dontcallmelen · 27/02/2018 23:11

Yy Ruffian, fucking awful spiteful nastiness, also very short memory as Grenfell wasn’t even a year ago.
Toomany, I would try & clarify with your housing officer what is the protocol, I haven’t dealt with local authorities for a couple of years but I know Lewisham, did have some leeway if your concerns were valid & it sounds as though your LA have been pretty remiss in dealing with your situation.
Good luck I wish you well.

RaindropsAndSparkles · 27/02/2018 23:13

Have you contacted your local councillor? They may be able to help bearing in mind the cock ups at the housing dept.

StickThatInYourPipe · 27/02/2018 23:15

Personally, I think if you are having panic attacks going up in the lift to the flat due to the height, then it is not fit for your purpose. Having a phobia of heights is something a lot plot people (including myself) suffer from but my reaction is not as strong as yours.

I’m sorry OP I know nothing about the councils duty of care for this stuff but I would hope you would be able to decline on that basis. Good luck though, it all sounds like you've been through a load of fucking shit!

LaurieFairyCake · 27/02/2018 23:17

The Penthouses in Battersea Power station a few miles from you are 7million quid - they’re on the 15/16/17 floors so pretty high up.

There’s a lot of tower blocks in south east London and it’s pretty normal to live in them.

It might be quicker and cheaper to fix the anxiety

Rachie1973 · 27/02/2018 23:19

Toomanybrokentarts
Also my previous housing officer took me off the direct offer and bidding system, he has since been fired for misconduct.
My new housing officer is trying the best she can to rectify all of this as I was supposed to have moved out 1 year ago.

Perhaps you could use this, along with the fucked up recent order as a bit of a bargaining tool?

I think I would at least try.

For what it's worth I'd struggle on the 19th floor. The height and the lift would cause me serious issue.

LondonHereICome · 27/02/2018 23:20

Have the panic attacks/anxiety and phobia just started now?

Or do you have a long documented medical history of them op?

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