Council housing eligibility

[user125]

I know this post is probably going to receive a lot of hate so I have changed my username. Please know I am not trying to be controversial or begging etc.
Me and DH were lucky enough to have put enough savings aside in our very early twenties to buy a small two bedroom terrace. Originally it was our plan to be here for 5 years and then move on to something bigger. Life had other plans. After struggling with infertility and lots of treatment we are now a family of 4. Currently the children share a room and me and DH have the other room. One of our DC's is awaiting an asd and ADHD assessment. He is a gorgeous sweet boy but struggled with being unregulated a lot and can get very violent towards his sister. This is a regular occurrence and is getting worse as he gets older.

We are desperate to be able to give them their own room but we have an appalling credit history and are unable to get approved on a higher mortgage. Someone mentioned applying for council housing. I assumed we would not be eligible because we own our home (with two mortgages on it). I don't know what else we can do. The downstairs is not big enough for me and DH to move a bed in to so the kids could have their own rooms. Would we be eligible or would it be a case of being on the list for years and years and never getting any further?

I know there are people in much higher need than us as we have a roof over our heads, but I need to be able to give both children a safe space of their own.

G

I think you'd be waiting a very very long time indeed but there can't be any harm in applying.

Not an expert so my reply is probably pointless but I think in most areas there is too much demand so you’ll never be at the top of the list. What area is it? Can you move somewhere cheaper? Do you have any equity?

You can join the list. Where I am; you wouldn’t be considered overcrowded and you’d be lowest priority, so the average wait appears to be 20 years, but they are planning more houses and I don’t know if the wait time takes that into consideration… and all councils are different. There’s no harm being on the list

I suspect that unless you live somewhere with very low demand for council housing, it’ll take less time to fix your credit than it will to get a council house.

I've been on the list for 18 years & never got anywhere. I'm a private tenant & the area I live is highly desirable & I will never be able to afford to buy here. I'm hoping to just get DC through secondary school then move to a cheaper area.

Why don't you check your council's eligibility rules? You may be able to apply if you're overcrowded. You're not going to be high priority anyway so might have to wait years.

Very unlikely, you would maybe be accepted to the wait list on the lowest band. I was homeless with my children when i applied having just left my marriage. Over the next 6 year we lost multiple private rentals due to landlords needing the house back due to their own marriage breakdown, a landlord passed away and the children wanted to sell up, and another just wanted to sell for no reasons given to us as tennants. I was in our 4th rented house when i finally received a council house offer. I dont live in an area where there is considered to be high demand either. and waited nigh on 7 years for one i accepted purely for the secure tenancy and stable home for my children.

Could you look at applying for a disabled facilities grant to convert your loft into an extra bedroom? Your child's OT could help you with the paperwork.

Or could the largest bedroom be split into 2?

How old are the children? I think once teenagers you would count as overcrowded as children are different genders

You wouldn’t be able to join the housing register where I am but you could sell your property and rent somewhere privately and then apply. Or you could do a loft conversion.

Yeah I wonder if, if you talked to the disability social worker in your area, they'd find a way to secure funding for an extension?

Do you live in London? Can you completely relocate?

You'd not be unreasonable at all to go on the waiting list, on the basis of overcrowding but its tough girl 🥺

Disability social worker, local charities to put you in touch with someone who knows about grants for things like this xx

Thanks for the replies. I assumed this would be the case. We are currently considering selling and renting privately and then applying. We are in so much debt that once we sold we would have no equity left over and would be in a similar position renting privately so that may change things slightly. Unfortunately loft conversion or splitting a bedroom isn't an option, we bought a new build so it is tiny for a two bedroom.

You could join the list if eligible but very u likely you’ll get something anytime soon. You may need to look at other options, move somewhere cheaper to buy a higher house, buy a different configuration of house so 2 bed with one large bedroom you could split, sofa bed in the living room in your current house.

@mumofoneAlonebutokay no we aren't in London we are in the West Midlands x

You mention money issues, have you applied for DLA for your son? Checked you are claiming everything you can?
Got support with your debt?

@Overthebow we considered moving to a cheaper area (although where we are is fairly cheap) but we won't get another mortgage because of credit report/debt.

How old are the children? In my area you’d still only be entitled to a 2 bedroom house until one of them is over 10. It may be different once you get an official diagnosis though so that’s something to check.

You’ll probably be waiting many years even if you do sell and rent privately.

Just be wary.

You may find that renting privately is more, possibly much more than your mortgage.

And private renting can be an awful position to be in.

I think the main issue is your debt and poor credit rating.

How old are you and your kids?

Could you do a budget to get out of debt, fix your credit rating, and hope to move in 3 or 4 years?

Also how tiny is your house? I know parents who sleep on fold out bed in living room to give bedrooms to their kids....but I know it's far from ideal.

@Bushmillsbabe we haven't applied yet as he hasn't got an official diagnosis, although paediatric and school both agree he will get the diagnosis.
@Tinkywinkydinkydoo oldest is 8 so we may not be eligible for a couple of years.

You can often port your mortgage across, if you moved somewhere cheaper you wouldn’t need to borrow more.

Can you afford to private rent though? Where I am that's by far the most expensive housing option, more than council rent (obviously) or a mortgage. A colleague pays more per month for an ensuite room than I pay for my mortgage on my house!

In some local authorities, owning a property automatically means they won't accept your application, unless you meet specific criteria such as needing to leave an abusive relationship.

In other authorities you may get on the register, but realistically you wouldn't have a chance of getting housed as you would be considered 'adequately housed'. I think you need to be prepared that that is still likely to be the case if you were renting a two bed, unless you're in an area with exceptionally low demand.

The issue is, when you're on the housing register you're banded according to priority. So if you're in band 3, and there are homeless families in band 2 also bidding for 2 or 3 beds, band 2s would always get offered first before a band 3 would be offered. That's even if they've been on the register 6 months at band 2 and you've been on the register for five years in band 3.

@Namechangetry if we sold and used the equity to pay off the debt we would be in the same position financially that we are in now as the reduced monthly payments would cover the increase in rent payment. So essentially we are buggered which ever way we choose. At least if we did sell the kids would have their own bedroom.

In the interim could you have a day bed / sofa bed in the living room and give a bedroom each to the children?

I would be very wary of moving to private renting to try and get higher up on any council list.
I don't think it will help and rent is higher than a mortgage plus the insecurity compared to having your own home.

Could you do a debt management programme/ IVA?

Agree with this, op, i wouldn't sell x