to think i will never get a council house?

[bellver888]

been on the waiting list 2 years - showing 30 in bidding systems
DV occurred up to September 2020 when i forced my exp out the house.
rent is 600 and i cannot afford it now there’s just me and DS.
Landlord is shit, I have no heating, riddled with damp and window hanging out of pane. It’s a 3rd floor flat. HSA (housing standards authority) keep saying they’re contacting my landlord and he’s sending someone round, they never come.
PTSD is kicking in and i can’t go in my bedroom without vomiting and panicking as that’s where the abuse occurred
poor credit and no guarantor and no way i can afford private rent as average is 600-700 in my area and i need support
severe depression, OCD and anxiety
im getting 1140 in UC and im in arrears with everything, DHP was rejected and can’t appeal

Every single time when I phone up I get “keep bidding you’re moving up the list” yet I’m really not. I can’t take anymore of this, I hate my life and I don’t think I have a future at all.

That's good news, I hope he can help. Get yourself a treat from Aldi, you deserve it!

I ended up spending it on DS instead, toot toot race tracks really do tempt me 🧐

Today my application with Regenda homes went live and I am category A, I don’t know what that means though hahaha

Category A must be good, right?

Band A is the best one. Hang on in there bellver.

Nope, band A is just for everyone who has housing need according to their allocation policy and it also goes on wait times aka who’s been on the list the longest. Average wait time is 5-6 years.

Disheartened again, also got toot toot drivers stuck in my head

What a perverse way to arrange a lettings banding. Are there subsections within band A to divide you up according to priority?

Is this a local authority or a housing association? It’s unusual for an HA to run its own list.

Are you now on more than one list or still trying to get on other lists? Sorry I’ve lost the thread a bit. You have so much happening.

Could you go to the local paper? They will need to go to the council PR office for a comment who in turn may find someone internally who can help your situation

I’ve got a phone appointment today with a solicitor to discuss the failings of housing standards. I feel like such a Karen I’ve complained to everyone.

Don't feel like that. You're complaining because you're not being listened to.

I hope you got some constructive help today.

Solicitor was very helpful, i fainted in the bus station yesterday which is the MOST embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me in the memory of mankind and I want to deposit myself into the nearest bin 😂
A claim for illegal disrepair has been started so she’s phoning me back tomorrow as they think they’ve got a bit of a battle on their hands as my landlord has been reported before by other tenants, he has 3 properties including mine.

She’s also sending a letter to tameside housing advice and contacting the ombudsman for me to see if any legal action can commence.

In true Karen form I have left a message with the Manchester Evening News but will remain anonymous

@bellver888

I’ve got a phone appointment today with a solicitor to discuss the failings of housing standards. I feel like such a Karen I’ve complained to everyone.

Your not a 'Karen,' at all, whoever shouts loudest! I'd seriously consider the advice above and getting the local press involved, someone's will then shout on your behalf

Society has really done a number on us if we’ve started believing that “making a reasonable complaint while being female” is some form of wrongdoing. It’s not! Stop calling yourself Karen.

The Karen thing admittedly is a little joke between my sisters and I and it does take the edge off a little bit, they’re 15 and 17 and know nothing except going to school/college, sneaking my mums fags and making tiktoks so a Karen is anyone to them (I’m jealous if you can’t tell 🤣)

However I’m hoping a bit of laughter gets me through this

I wanted to celebrate the solicitor starting action.

I am not surprised the LL has history and how even more appalling is that housing officer going to look now.

Keep on

I feel calmer today, not really getting worked up anymore as I can’t be bothered feeling stressed. Made the nicest hot choc last night but ended up having a sex dream about rishi sunak which was weird

😂

Worst night ever.

Weather was awful last night - DS stayed with my mum at hers, 3am this morning the damp/leak bowed and my living room ceiling now has a hole in it.

Informed landlord at the time, phoned him at 8. Hes ignored my calls and sent a text saying someone will be coming round to look at it “but not sure when”

If it’s not sorted today I’m packing our shit and walking out this dump and I’ll pocket my rent money. he can fucking evict me, I don’t care anymore

Christ that’s terrible! I really hope you can get this sorted, take photos as evidence send him texts every time you have a call confirming what was said as a record. This man is a horrible despicable man and should never be a landlord again. Update everyone that has offered to help with the news of the hole in your ceiling (MP, Local news and your solicitor) inform your landlord by text or email that you are doing so. Hopefully it might scare him enough to do something. If not, possibly withhold your rent and tell him you will do as such until it is fixed.

Sorry to hear this op. I went through a similar situation with the council. I know how fustrating/upsetting it can be. The only people i know nowerdays that get council houses are people with kids, people who are living on the street or people who have severe illness (which you do) I had similar issues with my mental health, went to gp and got him to write a letter to give to council basically saying that my mental health would spiral if I stayed in my current accommodation. I also got someone to write a formal complaint letter to the housing teams upper management to complain about the council's reaction to my lack of suitable housing and the fact that my housing officer wasn't taking my concerns seriously. Sounds very karen-y but I got a call 2 days later saying they had a council flat for me after 4 years of waiting. If you haven't done these things already I highly recommend you do otherwise you will probably be on that waiting list for a very long time. Good luck x

@Mama97 no way, seems like the GP proper saved it for you!

I love this thread, I’m gonna ask @MNHQ to rename it the Karen thread of 2021 🤣

MP, Housing Standards and my solicitor have called my landlord, his phones been turned off. I get paid on Thursday and if he decides to fuck me about in my new holey house I’ll pocket the rent money and buy myself something ludicrous with it

Check out your right to withhold rent to pay for repairs. By the time you have collated enough rent to pay for the long list you could be out of there anyway.

Put it in writing to the LL (can be used as evidence if he tries to evict you for non payment and is evidence that you have not made yourself intentionally homeless)

A long list with estimate of costs and that you will be obtaining 3 quotes for each prior to commencing work.

Also include that you have NEVER refused entry to any workmen in the property and you have had always had someone to let them in when you due and he has lied about this to the housing officer repeatedly.

Also include that you have been informed that has been charged/fines or whatever it is a shit landlord. So you are now aware of that this is normal behaviour.

Cover your back.

Obviously you do not spend a penny until you have saved up enough to pay for all the repairs which will take months/years!!!

This is the result of hardly any council housing being built in the last 35 years. During which time around 1 million council houses have been sold off and at the very least hundreds of thousands demolished. Contrast that to the 1950s when up to 1 million new council houses a year were being built.

He truly is an awful person isn’t he. Whatever you do cover your back, especially in regards to withholding rent. I would also keep the money to the side if you can just in case you are forced to spend it. Make records of absolutely everything. You’re doing really well to get this far, don’t give up now.

I’m so happy in a way, the flat has fell to pieces, windows slipped downwards inside the pane and the ceiling hole has a cute little water feature

Hope it costs him a fortune cos I’m certainly not paying it

Housing standards said she’s phoning the landlord to chase it up. I don’t care though. Not staying here so I’ll pack up and leave and put the furniture that’s not ruined in storage

Sorry if its been suggested but can you get a letter from your GP about your mental health and abuse. It might help you move up quicker.

I've done GP's letters for housing many times.