Currently homeless need advice

[JeyK]

Hey all,

just thought I would get some advice from other fellow mothers on my current situation.

I’m a single mum in my 20s. I had my daughter in 2020 during Covid, I was living at my mums but decided to private rent a 1 bedroom flat when my DD was about 4 months old.
Everything was going well until September this year when the landlord decided to sell the property, leaving me and my daughter basically homeless. Had to put all my furniture etc into storage which the council arranged.

I have now been placed in temporary accommodation, which is basically a studio flat, but still stay at my mum’s often as she has a spare box room, but I’m definitely not getting too comfortable here.

When speaking to other mothers within the temporary accommodation, they always inform me that they’re waiting to be housed by the council, and some of them have been there for over a year, I personally can’t see myself doing that..as much as I am eligible for a 2 bedroom from the council. It can literally take years before I am housed.

In my current situation, it’s quite unlikely that I’ll be able to private rent a 2 bed alone, as much as I would love for my daughter to have her own space as she has now just turned 3, it’s way out of my budget. But my mum reckons I shouldn’t settle for a 1 bed again as at some point I will require more space.

I’m not sure if it’s out of desperation or because I’m not happy with my current situation, but at this point, I wouldn’t mind again renting a 1 bed, at least I’ll have somewhere until I find a better paying job & can get my ducks in a row to branch out and see if a 2 bed will be affordable for me later down the line, as you can imagine since Covid renting prices have gone through the roof. Especially in London.

if you were me, would you be patient and hope that a 2 bed within my budget comes on the market in the early New Year (even though not guaranteed) or rent a 1 bedroom now, which is affordable for me, even though it wouldn’t be much of an upgrade from my last flat?

any opinions welcomed xx

Any flat is better than no flat when you are homeless, I’d got for a one bed if that’s all that’s available. I’m in the north and in addition to being on the council housing list you can also join the housing associations lists separately to increase your chances, as they don’t advertise all their properties through the council. It could be worth looking into where you are.

Get the one bed. It’s a better option than staying in temporary accommodation for what could be years, and your dd is young so doesn’t need more space yet.

I'd go for the one bed. Your daughter will be fine sharing with you and it will allow you to get on your feet and aim for a two bed later.

Possibly not in London, but rental prices have dropped 11% in the last month, and apparently 29% of them are void (serves the LLs right for putting them up so much! Although sometimes it’s the mortgage lender insists on a set amount being charged).

Anyway, you should see rental prices start to fall between now and Xmas. Because moving is stressful and people avoid doing it in the run up to Christmas. So, keep your eye on Rightmove from now. If you get the Property Log chrome browser, you can also see If they have been reduced, and when.

I hope you find somewhere nice, OP. I assume it’s not feasible to move out further to get somewhere bigger?

I lived in a one bed flat with my 3yo and it worked well. Two single beds. I'd put him to bed then have the evening to myself in the sitting room.

It's not good for your love life but then, having a 3yo generally isn't.

Different circumstances but I've shared a room with my DS till he was 8. Two single beds like PP. It was always his choice and he'd rather we were still sharing the same room now. I think you're fine sharing for a couple of years at that age your DD. Depending how bad you're finding the temporary accommodation it might be worth waiting a couple of months to find the right place, but if you need to get out now and can afford to do so then I'd move asap.

You need to get a clearer picture on how long you'll be likely waiting for council housing. Try bidding on properties you're eligible for and see how many people are in front of you. Speak to your housing advisor and ask how the list is looking. If you don't have a housing advisor ask your council why not. You're homeless and should have one, it's a statutory duty that you do.

If there's any chance at all of getting something two bedroom from council within a timeframe that works for you then hang on and go for it. You won't get the chance again once they consider you housed and private sector renting is fucking awful, especially so when single and especially so when single with a kid. If it's a case of waiting it out a bit while your dd is too young to be overly impacted by it, then it's always worth hanging on for a secure tenancy.

I'd stay in the 1 bed temp accom you've got and wait for your 2 bed off council. You're so lucky to have got a flat, my baby was 1 day old when we were made homeless and were put in a cockroach infested hotel. I'd have killed for a flat. Save your money for when you get your 2 bed, it will be a godsend if you need to furnish a whole flat.

Wait for a council or housing association place. If you get another private rented flat you could end up in the same situation but your daughter would be older.

I would wait for the Council/Housing association property. You could take another private rental on a 6 month tenancy and be back in this situation in 6 months time.

I would also contact local housing associations and see if any of them manage their own waiting lists and apply if they do.

Be careful about staying over at your mum’s house. I would limit this to once a week. You might be told that you cannot be homeless if you are regularly not needing to stay in the accommodation being provided for you.

Are there any 1 bed social housing properties you can apply for? I'm just concerned that if you leave the temporary accommodation to rent privately you may not be a priority.

if You’re adequately housed now, as in, bearable and doable for work, nursery, etc, I think you’d be absolutely mad to give up the chance of a council tenancy. They are secure, cheaper, and generally held to higher maintenance standards than private rentals.