I'm Homeless

[JanetWeissAHeroine]

Posting for traffic.

I am a single parent to a 5 year old DD who has significant special needs. I have been made homeless and have been staying with a friend in unsuitable accommodation for the last last 3 months. I have contacted the council and have been told I am a priority and have recently been contaced by my housing officer who is looking into things for me. Basically, my housing officer is a bit shit at getting back to me and hasn't been communicating with me at all so I am unclear what my options are exactly. Today I received an email about renting in the private sector, they sent a list of websites to look at (Rightmove, Zoopla etc) - so are they just expecting me to rent privately when I have no means to at the moment and I'm on UC and a carer for my daughter? I get there is a housing crisis and I don't want to be seen as ungrateful at all but I'm really worrying about this whole thing and they aren't explaining anything to me properly.

Any advice is welcomed

You will be able to get assistance with a deposit via benefits, more information here

I'm so sorry. I would contact shelter's helpline, it's open until 8pm today (phone number is 0808 800 4444). It's worth having a look on their website before you call as they tell you what to have to hand during the call to make the most of the phone call
england.shelter.org.uk/get_help/helpline

all the best x

Unfortunately whilst staying with your friend the council won't consider you homeless as such. You need to rock up to the local housing office, with your child and tell them friend can no longer house you. And stay there go tomorrow first thing with your bags. They will maybe put you in temporary accomodation for now but while you are at your friends you will get nowhere

Thank you all for your responses.

@rabbit they are aware that this is temporary and that my friend has told them I cannot stay for much longer.

When did you make your homeless application? When did you receive your s184 letter telling you what duties they owe you?
Did they offer you emergency accommodation? (or are you being classed as homeless at home?)

The council can discharge their duties by offering you a privately rented property as long as it is available for at minimum of 12 months (many of the London boroughs do this and it is lawful) It has to suitable (for your needs-not necessarily desirable) and affordable. You usually have to accept the offer and then challenge the suitability of it (which affordability would be a factor)

If they have made a decision that they owe you the main housing duty (usually not before 56 days from when you applied as homeless)then you can be accommodated in temporary accommodation until permanent housing can be found) - depending on where you are in the country- this could be straight away- if in London it could be years.

It can take time I'm sorry to say- really depends on when you made the application.

@JanetWeissAHeroine

Thank you all for your responses.

@rabbit they are aware that this is temporary and that my friend has told them I cannot stay for much longer.

They are aware that it's temporary, but you need to draw a line for them in order to show you are vulnerable. Otherwise they will just consider your friend as your housing, in perpetuity, and you become someone else's concern.

You need to tell them clearly, that you will have no where to live by the end of the week.

Be that clear with them - create the urgency that then means they add a different thing to the system.

Otherwise, you're just a person who lives somewhere she doesn't want to, and you fall down the list of priorities.

If you have to leave the property where you are staying then the council will have to house you in emergency accommodation and the process is the same as I have stated in previous post.

Agreed @Judethe0bscure - I really do think however the council need to know that the OP is going to be forced out, even if that's not the case because her friend is nice, there's no set end date etc.

If the OP sets their own end date, makes it the end of the week, creates real urgency instead of "I'd like to live somewhere different" then it would improve her outcomes.

Do you have any family you could stay with ?

@Judethe0bscure I made my homeless application on the 22nd of May and I haven't recieved an S184 letter, I don't even know what that is, I have also never been offered emergency accommodation. When I spoke to my Housing officer the first (and only time) she said that we were a priority and that they had a duty to house me but nothing has ever been in writing. She isn't letting me know anything, she hardly ever responds to my emails.

Technically, you're not homeless according to the narrow legal criteria councils use.

If you were to made to leave your friend's house, you would be "statutorily homeless". Providing that you were not to blame for being asked to leave your previous home, eg not in rent arrears or in breach of your tenancy in some other way, and you didn't just give up your tenancy because you felt like it*, the council have a statutory duty to find you somewhere to live.

This will undoubtedly be some sort of b&b or hostel type accommodation initially, but you will be high priority for social housing. How long it will take to get a long term home varies a lot according to where you are. Some councils lease private rental property to house homeless families, because that is cheaper than b&b.

Because you have a child with additional needs, it may also be to your advantage for social services to get involved. They can be very good at kicking the housing department's arse, and they tend not to like it when children with problems are homeless. They can be good allies. Give them a call in the morning.

*If you are in any way responsible for the situation you find yourself in, you can be deemed "intentionally homeless" and the council will have no obligation to help you.

I have no family to stay with and no one else that can help @Purpletigers

Just to add emergency accommodation can often be a hotel room or a room in a b&b. It also doesn’t necessarily mean you will be in your chosen borough or close to your child school/your work etc. If you go down the emergency route may not get an actual flat/house so you may find you stay in temp accommodation whilst you wait for a flat/house from the council. Granted this will depend on the disabilities/needs of your child.

Have you looked for private rent properties? The council can help with a deposit/first months rent.

How were you originally made homeless?

@sennetti A relationship breakdown

@Flynn999 I have looked at private rental properties, the thing thats worrying me is the rent, I have no idea how I will afford it - I live in London so it's so expensive.

JanetWeissAHeroine

That doesn't sound correct then OP.
Have you actually made a homeless application or have you applied to the housing register? Did you have an assessment and were you given a personalised housing plan?

Applying to the register and and applying as homeless are 2 different processes.

If you have made a homeless app then you should have by law been issued with a s184 letter stating what duties they owe you.

If you haven't made a homeless app I would do this immediately.

If you have no job, and no nearby family, and judging by your daughter's age she might not have started school, it is possible that the council will offer you housing outwith London. But it is housing, and it will be significantly cheaper.

The council have an obligation to house you. They don't have an obligation to find a council house for you. It is likely to be temporary accommodation for some time, possibly years. You should have a look to see what the housing allowance for your area is from UC.

I’m not sure what you can do . Could you rent privately in a cheaper area ? I’m sure London rents are expensive .

@Judethe0bscure I made a homeless application, there is an emergency number that you can call. They took all my details, my friends details so they could confirm this Etc and asked information about myself and my daughter and then the housing officer contacted me.

@Purpletigers Unfortunately not, my daughter attends a specialist school and I can't move her from there, that is the only thing stopping me.

You have to keep contacting them, relentlessly. Dont just wait for them to get in touch with you.

Have you considered moving to another area. Outside of London it is much easier to be rehoused.

@DivGirl My daughter is 5 and started school last year, she attends a specialist school (that is the reason I can't move out of the area). I was self employed but haven't been able to work during lockdown as I work in the health and beauty industry.

@DartmoorChef I have, I get no response.

JanetWeissAHeroine

Sounds as though they haven't processed your application. If they haven't given you a personalized housing plan or given you a decision letter stating what duties are owed- its potentially unlawful and can be challenged legally.

As you are on UC- you are entitled to legal Aid as being homeless is in scope for this and ask for a caseworker to help.

Contact CLA (civil legal advice)on 0345 345 4 345

Emergency accommodation suitability is a very low threshold - it will not necessarily be what you want as the but the council should consider your household needs. If any emergency accommodation offered is completely unsuitable (re your daughter's school etc) then it can be challenged in the court via Judicial review and CLA can help with this.