To think I have no chance with a council property?

[Magicra84]

I've just been made redundant and found out my private landlord is selling up so in a few months, unless I find employment, I'm going to be homeless. My only chance is a council/housing association property. I've seen one and bidded on it, a two bed house. There's only me and my pets going to be living there/wherever. After the shit time I've had lately I would love to be successful in my bid, but aibu in thinking that realistically I've not got a chance?

WitchesGlove that's not a nice post.
Maybe the posters friend had a house, fled DV and had to go to her mum. Or maybe she isn't. But we don't know.

It's not true the council has to house homeless people who don't have dependents. If you're not priority need (only automatic if pregnant, have dependents, or leaving care) they only have to offer 'help'. Which can be just some phone numbers.

Priority need also can be a six month private let instead of secure social housing. Almost always in the areas people are told to avoid, high crime, drugs, etc, and in very badly maintained lets.

It depends where you live. Some areas have more availability. As you got on the list, it bodes well. Many people can't even qualify to register in my area (single or family).

I wish more people realised that in many areas it's not just able bodied single people not housed. I don't want comments on my suituation here. I've had my own threads already. I just want people to realise the reality for disabled and ill people with no dependents. It's dire in some parts of the country.

I'm from London and stayed with a violent partner because I knew I'd face homelessness after a refuge. I have physical and mental health conditions.
My council told me having health issues wouldn't be considered priority need in this area. (DV isn't automatic priority need in England either although the law is changing apparently).

In my area in South East hardly anyone gets awarded band a.. unless you're in a property that is too big and you need to downsize thus freeing up a larger. Even families living in inappropriate temporary housing so basically classed as homeless are banded B or C. It can take 8-10 years to get an offer. People who are deemed to be adequately housed even if it's sub standard and too expensive may not even be allocated on the housing register. We have a huge shortage of affordable housing locally.

@SwelteringInTheHeat

WitchesGlove that's not a nice post. Maybe the posters friend had a house, fled DV and had to go to her mum. Or maybe she isn't. But we don't know.

DV victims can go to refuges and tend to get housed quicker from there.

Council housing should be for the genuinely homeless, not just because she wants the kids to have there own bedrooms and a garden.

If they were that desperate, they’d move out of London/ Essex

They wouldn't have 'local connection' to go on the council list in another area though and it's increasingly difficult to find private landlords who'll accept benefits tenants.

WitchesGlove
Why do I need to sound grateful? Obviously the people who were higher priority than us must have been in worse situations but I was still in a pretty shitty situation. That’s not relevant to the point I was making anyway, I was just trying to show how hard it is to get a council house in my area, which is what his thread is about. As a single mum (at the time) with a low income, no support from my child’s dad and not even enough saved for a rental deposit it wasn’t possible for me to rent privately so a council house was my only option but I was still not high enough priority to be offered one in the area I needed to live in. Hopefully OP will either find an alternative or will be offered a place soon but I wanted to give her a picture of the reality of how hard it is to be offered a council house in some places.

Being in a refuge doesn't guarantee secure housing after, especially not for victims with no dependents. It maybe depends on the area.

OP, it depends where you live but if I was you I'd not rely on the council (but stay on the list obviously). I'd try to find another job and rent privately. You won't need to leave for months. Hopefully you could find a new job by then. Before I got ill I was looking at live in work just to get me back on my feet. Not necessarily care work if that's not for you, but pub or hotel work or other jobs with accommodation included.

The age for being expected to go into shared accommodation as single person is quite high 35ish? which surprised me

Which im sure is really helping with social distancing.

My sister got a 2 bed flat with no dependants and a cat and she hadn't been on the list long. Really entirely depends where you live.
And ignore the "how dare you not be a home owner with a secure income and a huge safety net before your 21" people. They are either bored and trying to upset people for kicks or totally dead inside. Or both.

www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/home/poor-housing-has-caused-health-problems-for-nearly-one-in-three-britons-during-lockdown-survey-shows-67015?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Poor housing has caused health problems for nearly one in three Britons during lockdown, survey shows
NEWS
01/07/20
BY DOMINIC BRADY
Poor housing conditions have led to mental or physical health problems for nearly a third of all adults in Britain since lockdown began, according to a new survey.

Results from a YouGov survey of 4,116 people show that a lack of space and poor conditions of homes has caused people to experience stress and depression, lose sleep and take medication for mental health issues.

The survey comes as part of the recently launched Homes at the Heart campaign, which calls for major investment in social housing to aid economic and social recovery from coronavirus.

It found that 3.7 million people – 1.6 million of whom are children – are living in overcrowded homes and 30,000 people are spending lockdown in a home that consists of one room.

A total of 62,580 families are living in temporary accommodation – a 13-year high – according to the campaign, which is led by the National Housing Federation (NHF), the Chartered Institute of Housing, Crisis, the Association of Retained Council Housing and the National Federation of ALMOs

Polling found that 11% of all British adults said they felt depressed during lockdown due to a lack of space in their home.

A further 5% who said they are lacking space shared that this had led them to seek medical help or to take medication for their mental health, and 19% said it meant they could not get enough sleep.

Kate Henderson, chief executive of the NHF, said: “Inadequate housing and cramped conditions are making lockdown even more unbearable for millions of people right now.

“Homes have been the centre of our lives during the pandemic and as the country starts to reopen, the government must put homes at the heart of the country’s recovery, too.”

John Bibby, chief executive of the Association of Retained Council Housing, said: “Investing in social housing infrastructure will not only help tackle health inequalities but will save the taxpayer money in the long run and provide an immediate economic stimulus as we emerge from the impact of the pandemic.”

The findings follow analysis by Inside Housing on the connection between the housing crisis and COVID-19 deaths and a Public Health England report which found that poor housing conditions exacerbate coronavirus infection, particularly among black and minority ethnic communities.

The Homes at the Heart campaign, which calls for a once-in-a-generation investment in new and existing social housing, has so far been backed by 60 businesses, banks, charities and thinktanks.

As a single person, you will not be a priority and it will take years for you to be offered anything. Look at houseshares and jobs.

Can you contact a local housing advice organisation who will know exactly what it is like in your area?

In my area there are short waiting lists and a single person would normally be given two bedrooms simply because there are almost no one bedroom properties.

You are very unlikely to get a council property, especially if you are not even homeless yet.

Doesn't the website tell you roughly how likely it is you'll get one? Ours tells you if you're in the top 10 bidders etc.

You are obviously eligible for some 2 beds though or they wouldn't have let you bid on one.

OP you had a post on this last week and were told by all that you stood no chance of getting a council flat in central London.

You need to come up with a back up plan because being housed by the council is VERY unlikely.

I know this problem, unfortunately, a little too well.
It honestly depends on the area. I'm in mid Sussex. Here, if you are in rented accommodation and you move out (even though they are selling and the tenancy has ended!) you have made yourself (apparently ) intentionally homeless and they WILL NOT help you.

Now, this is shit. I had to beg and scrape and do anything I could, simply to stay off the streets with 3 kids.

I hope you aren't in this area, but you need to look into it, as this is a REAL possibility.

I wish u all the best of luck in finding somewhere...

@LoseLooseLucy Are you in Manchester City council? My sister is stuck in a one bed rental with a 3 and 4 year old (Trafford). Awful conditions but apparently she’s low on priority list. If they have to stay much longer they will be moving in with my mum.

Sorry OP but my dad has been homeless since last year. Confirmed homeless, given points for homelessness and on the waiting list and no luck. With Covid-19 even went to our MLAs (MP), housing associations etc and nothing.

He is having to move about friends sofas every few days.

@WitchesGlove

We were refused housing in about 4 other councils, because we had no local connection apparently, my partner working in one of them and his eldest son (who was under 12) living there is not a local connection. Its not as simple as move to another area.

OP. If you are on facebook, ask on local groups especially groups which involve your pet, such as a cat group or dog (I can't see where you have said) I find HA are more likely to accomodate a cat rather than a dog. So if you have a dog, you might need to start look at different options

OP, rule one. Until you have either secured a new home or are evicted by court-ordered bailiffs, do not leave. If you jump before you're pushed, virtually all councils will regard you as "intentionally homeless" and wash their hands of you. It's shit for your landlord and the new owner but that's the way it is.

Do all you reasonably can to find a new home of course. But remember if you're under 35, benefits will only pay for a room in a shared house. Even if you're 35 or older, it won't pay for a 2 bed.

Also do all you reasonably can to find a new job. Even if it's something part time, temporary contract, or you don't really like. The longer you are out of work the worse you look to prospective employers. Conversely the most attractive candidates are those who are already employed somewhere else.

(When it comes to renting homes, "professionals only" just means anyone in work earning enough to pay the rent. It doesn't have to be a high-flying white collar job.)

And frankly you will possibly have to send your pets away. Most of the rental market won't accept them. Unless it's something like fish or hamsters you think you can sneak in.

PS: As far as council and housing associations go. Look into possible "local connection" to other areas. If you have parents, children, or siblings in other places, or you perhaps find a job somewhere else, that could expand your chances.

It depends where you live tbh. I've been in a 3bed ex council now HA stock for 20yrs. Originally myself and Dd moved in as nobody else wanted it due to it being a shit hole. I'm now rattling around it just me and the dog and in a 'family home', but the HA aren't arsed to downsize me even though I've repeatedly asked. I've always worked so the 'bedroom tax' isn't an issue, and they're not that interested. 1/2 beds are like gold dust. So here I remain in a massive footprint property with a large garden, when I could easily be in a 1 bed flat, freeing it up for a family that need it 😳 I've also tried the exchange site with zero interest (house is ready to move into). I don't know if there aren't the 1 beds avaliable or if it's a case of its easier to just leave things as they stand.