Aibu to give up council property for private sector?

[SparkleClub]

I need some advice on my housing situation. I am willing to be called stupid but this is really getting me down.
Dh and I have 6 children. We live in a 3 bedroom council flat in a run down area.
Last year dh was assaulted where we live and I was assaulted outside our home in front of the eldest of our children(both attacks were being in the wrong place at the wrong time,not anything to directly do with us) Both of these assaults lead to us both spending some time in hospital. Police statements were made and after many months we have been successful in putting DH's attacker in prison, mine is going to crown court later on in the year. This has changed our lives and our children's. We are frightened to go out of the house but of course we have to. We visited the council explaining what had happened and how we are not safe in our home, they we had to make an application for a managed move so we did straight away. We produced all the police reports, social services reports and school reports to show how desperate we were to leave the borough and the effect it has had on all our children's lives. They were and still are petrified of the area and leaving our home.
The council wrote to us 3 months later saying we had been given highest priority for a managed move. Would still only be allowed a 3 bedroom which is fine with us as we were not doing this for a bigger property but would have to remain in the borough as that's all they could do. We started bidding straight away and have done for the past 9 months. We are not getting any closer to getting a property and it's getting me down.
Now this is my question. Would I be absolutely stupid to give up our council property and move to the private sector where we would have to scrimp to be able to afford it. But we would be moving to the other side of the country where it is a nice area (have done lots of research) and not have to fear for our safety.
I understand that once we give up our flat we will intentionally be making ourselves homeless in the councils eyes and we will not be allowed to carry on bidding for another property. Nor will we be given another council property in the future if the private sector doesn't work out. I understand this but am I crazy to give it up and move for our sanity, safety and for a fresh new start?

I can sympathise, but wouldn't advise it. You've got a secure tenancy and an affordable rent, which would be different in the private sector.

We used to be in council housing. The only thing that shifted us was buying our own place.

It is such a shame that decent people are forced out of areas because scumbags move in and make it impossible to continue living there. It happened to me. Council housing should come with a contract of behaviour.

Contact your MP, see if they can hurry things along with getting a new council house. Be very very careful where you move to though; visit the area at day and at night as well as at the weekend. Research online. I wouldn't usually recommend a move from council to private however in your circumstances, it sounds as though it's the best move.

I would wait it out personally and stick to homeswapper and other similar pages. There's no security in the private sector. After 6 months your tenancy could end and you have to find another property. You can't make the place your own either and the landlord can put the rent up. Every time you move out you need to find the money for the removals and fees etc.
Have you contacted CAB and/or your local MP for help?

I have been where you are but we managed to buy ourselves out of it. If you can afford private rent could you not stay where you are and save like crazy to get a deposit to buy whilst continuing to bid? I have two private let's, one I do on behalf of my aunt who we thought was on her way out just before christmas. We have a lovely family in that house but should aunt have passed I would have been giving them notice to vacate at that point. My other let is in a block of 4 with the downstairs flat rented by another private landlord. On behalf of my tenant I had to fight to get their tenant evicted due to noise,.parties and unreasonable behaviour, turned out he was on drugs. Having said all that I still have nightmares about the place we used to stay and that we've had to move back and this was 12 years ago now. Pros and cons for both options. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Shelter should give you help with all that DeeCeeCherry suggested. I always find it helps if you have someone official negotiating with the LA as they are used to negotiating their way through the system.

I agree with others, continue to stick at it with a hope to get moved within the town and then you could look at homeswapper again as people may find your new area more desirable to move to. Think long term

Agree with PPs saying go to Shelter for advice- they helped us overturn a decision about council housing (disability related in our case) and will know exactly what you're legally entitled to and the most effective way to approach the situation.

Do not give up the security of a council tenancy until you have exhausted every other option.

Hit them with everything official that you can.
MP
Solicitor
Impact on your health of the stress of being trapped in an area you were attacked etc.

Thank you for all the replies and advice. I appreciate it a lot.
I will look into getting in touch with mp and housing solicitor.

Do councils still give big cash incentives to give up tenancies? It sounds like you're in London, if so, wherever you move will be cheaper. If the council does give people cash to move out (I know some used to) and you're moving to a much cheaper part of the country could this be enough to use as a deposit to buy somewhere? I knew a few people who got on the housing ladder this way back in the 90s, don't know if it still exists. If it does it might be worth thinking about. Overall I agree with others though, private renting is insecure and expensive.