AIBU to not understand why we don’t meet social housing criteria?

[Lulubon]

Does anyone have any experience with social housing?
We have been on the register for a year, band C and 13 points

Our situation:
My partner was made redundant during the pandemic and found it hard to find a job, he now works a low paid nhs job, full time.

He has a previous ccj which prevents us being accepted for rental properties. We’ve been turned down more times then I can count.

We live in one of the most expensive areas of the country. (Just happened to be where we grew up and we previously were relatively high earners)

We have a 7 month old son. I am currently receiving statuary maternity pay which ends this month.

I am a nursing student and will be returning to my studies in September full time.

We currently rent a small flat which is £1000pm. We originally lived her a few years ago when both in full time work, well paid jobs.

Rent is almost all of my partners earning and we are left with just enough to cover bills and food. Although I often have to put at least one food shop on the credit card.

Our flat has been sold and we have been served notice.

We have nowhere to go as we have been frantically applying to rent through letting agents and haven’t been accepted for low income and the ccj.

We contacted the council to ask if we have gained priority and they said no!?

I am completely at a loss and so heartbroken to be in this situation, we were living a care free lifestyle with quite a bit of disposable income pre pandemic.
I want our son to have a secure home but the woman we spoke to today from the counsel said we would need minimum 25 point (we have 13) to even be considered for a housing association house.

Can this be correct? If so what can we do in this situation?

Thanks in advance

It doesn’t sound like you can afford to be a student at the moment. I understand you want to be one and I understand it’s a means to an end but when you can’t afford food you need a job.

@HasaDigaEebowai

It doesn’t sound like you can afford to be a student at the moment. I understand you want to be one and I understand it’s a means to an end but when you can’t afford food you need a job.

Yes, I agree. Plenty of people defer if they can’t make it work financially-sounds like you will have to do that.

Ask council if they offer a deposit guarantee scheme which would at least help fund a move. You otherwise will be waiting for eviction and go into temporary accommodation, which may not even be local. If you did work pt uc might cover some of your childcare costs or do you have family who could do some, for evening work for example, or you work when do does not.

Look for a private rental rather than going through a letting agent. Sadly you won't be prioritised for social housing because of your income and the fact that your partner is working.

@BrieAndChilli's comment was harsh but true. The simple fact of the matter is that there isn't enough social housing to go around (thanks, Tory govt) and so someone in your situation who can pay rent - even if the letting agent you've been to doesn't agree - will not be prioritised.

Problem is the housing authority say you can pay rent, but the letting agent says you can't, so what do you do?

Only option is to keep looking for a private landlord who will give you a chance.

Not all temporary accommodation is bad. We got offered a flat with which the only problem was it didn't have outdoor space for our young children. We then got notice as the flat lease came to an end at which point we were given priority and offered the house I currently live in.

Sadly its only going to get worse. First councils were encouraged to sell off their social housing stock. As numbers started to get worryingly low, social landlords stepped in to fill the gap. Now they are being encouraged to sell off their stock.

Do the uni not have any accommodation suitable for families you could apply for?

What childcare will you be using doing your placements? Can you use that to work?

I wouldn’t take deferring studies off the table as an option. It’s actually incredible to me that anyone thinking they might be homeless with a baby would take anything at all off the table. You simply cannot do that.

Many of us had to adjust our study for financial reasons, it’s common.

@HasaDigaEebowai

It doesn’t sound like you can afford to be a student at the moment. I understand you want to be one and I understand it’s a means to an end but when you can’t afford food you need a job.

This, also.

They won't give social housing to people who are choosing to be students. I get that you're doing it because you want to better yourself and earn more in the future, and I get that it's hard to find a job right now, but is it impossible? No. Not by any means. There are always jobs in social care for example.

Being a student is a luxury.

I can't believe how many people are suggesting she overstays get notice and waits to be evicted. That costs the landlord money!! (s)he owns that property and has a right to sell it without someone squatting in it refusing to leave.

I think you are going to have to rethink the next couple of years, until you qualify, and decide what you are / are not willing to compromise on.

Could you move out from uni and commute in?
Could you train by day and OH work evenings / nights / weekends?
Could you put uni on ice for a year and return when life is more manageable?
Could you use family help short term as you grow up in the area.
I know none of these are ideal, but when you have a baby, are in education and don’t have an obvious back up plan, you need to make some tough choices.

I also thought @BrieAndChilli post was reasonable and was written to put things into perspective on demand / supply, which is what you asked about. How you read it was all on you.

You can use government help to pay Childminder. You'd really benefit from some tailored advice to your situation. Can you go to citizens advice or your union? It's worth asking if they hold landlord lists (many do) as that might be a way to get around the ccj issue. I'd also email your department administrator on the off chance that they can help - there are sometimes academics travelling for sabbatical or whatever that are renting out their places.

@HasaDigaEebowai

It doesn’t sound like you can afford to be a student at the moment. I understand you want to be one and I understand it’s a means to an end but when you can’t afford food you need a job.

I agree.

It’s either a case of getting into more debt and staying as a student to get through the course and qualify or abandoning ship and getting a job now. I don’t think there’s anything in between.

Most people can’t afford to study. That’s just how it is for many people.

I get why people think I can afford to be a student but I can, in October. I can’t leave my course because we can’t afford it for a couple of months.

The issue is more the housing, we aren’t being accepted for rental properties due to the ccj and income but even if I ‘got a job’ you also aren’t accepted for rentals if you’re on probation of a job which could be 3 or 6 months depending on the job 🙂

Have you approached your university? They may have a hardship fund?

We were evicted last year, our section 21 finished at the beginning of December. We weren't a priority until then and from then it took 7 months for us to be offered anywhere.
It was 100% worth the stress of hanging on, I was lucky enough to be given a house in exactly the location I wanted (not a desirable area) with a huge garden.
To the poster above saying that social housing should be means tested.
Have you ever been evicted? Do you know how stressful it is to keep needing to move house? This house is our 3rd in 3 years, I'm so so thankful that we now have some security and permanence. My partner works full time and I'm studying for a degree, if the security of my tenancy depended on our income I wouldn't even bother to try and better myself.

Also I can’t defer my course because I had to take time out to have my son and you only get 4 years to complete the course.

I now realise we won’t get SH because we aren’t homeless so thanks for the advice all but we will just have to find other way 👍🏻

You say there are no jobs. It is simply not true. Every single restaurant around is looking for people to hire. Why don't you work evenings? As you say it is just until October..

It's tough, OP, and very unsettling, but very few councils will make people high priority until eviction is imminent. My council will up the banding when the notice period expires, but a lot won't do anything until there is a possession order or even a bailiff warrant.

It seems tough, but when housing is scarce they have to ensure that they are allocating properties to those in most need, plus they have a duty to minimise the number of people in expensive temporary accommodation.

There are a few HAs that do direct lets (ie, you don't have to be nominated by the council). They generally advertise via Places For People, so check their website.

Other points to consider re the validity of the notice are things like were the gas safety certificate and EPC given to you before the start of the tenancy. There's a date by which they have to have given you the "How to Rent" booklet as well, and there'll be an example of what the notice should say online somewhere (it's called a Form 6a).

Digressing slightly, but have you checked to see if you are entitled to help with your council tax because of your low income? You have to apply to the council. And you should be getting the 25% discount because students aren't liable for council tax. If you can save a few quid on your council tax, you might be able to manage without using credit cards.

The housing situation is shit, but not enough people care enough about it to vote for a party that will do something about it. And the funding for homeless prevention work has been cut too.

Actually, @Spanielstail, a tenant has the right to stay in a property until the tenancy is ended either by themselves or a court. A landlord can’t end a tenancy, only serve notice that they are seeking possession. These rules are secret so should be taken into account in the landlord’s business model.

Oops, aren’t secret.

@Iwonder08

Did you read what I just wrote? I’m worried about housing, not looking for income advice. If I get a job now it will not help my housing situation because you can’t rent on probation, you need to have worked there 3-6 months depending on the company 👍🏻

@Spanielstail

I can't believe how many people are suggesting she overstays get notice and waits to be evicted. That costs the landlord money!! (s)he owns that property and has a right to sell it without someone squatting in it refusing to leave.

You're right, how silly, people should make themselves "intentionally homeless" and ineligible for any social housing support rather than inconvenience a landlord 🙄 Don't get mad at people suggesting it, get mad at a system that gives people no other choice.

Most people can’t afford to study. That’s just how it is for many people

And it's crazy not to give more financial support to people doing nursing degrees when we have a shortage of nurses, which is surely going to get worse as they seem to be leaving the profession in droves.

They should bring back the bursaries imo.

If you've been served notice don't move. It should a formal section 21 and you will have 6 months. Then don't move, they need to take you to court, then you'll qualify and be priority banding.