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Original poster

What is the difference between housing ass/council and how do you get them?

32 replies

jellyjelly · 20/06/2006 17:38

Need to move house and will be getting benefits, have 3.5 yr old and wont be able to stay in our joint house for long as he wont pay the mortgage forever.

What happend#s, what do i need to do?

OP posts:
muma3 · 20/06/2006 17:48

go to a local housing /money and advice center. they will possibly put you in a temp accom or hostel/b+b. shouldnt be for long . you partner will have to say that you can no longer stay in the family home and you ill be classed as homeless.

housing ass are crap . more rent and you cant do much to property. council (which i am in ) are ok to an extent and are your best bet . when you have your self sorted you could buy a council prop but not house ass.

need anymore info let me know been through it all Smile

Original poster
jellyjelly · 20/06/2006 19:03

I am alright at the moment in our house but have to sell it as he wont pay for long and dont want to get ccjs etc. Any advice. Work from home so will have to close childminding.

I will need to have housing benefit but how do you find a house that will take it?

OP posts:
Tortington · 20/06/2006 20:09

council will refer you to HA. some councils are crap too - depends on the area, the housing officer and many other factors - you can do the same to a HA house as a council house in most instances - becuase as with a council house you have to ask permission to do any improvements.

if you go and tell the council ofice the house is being sold from under you and you expect to be homeless by - 7th July ( for eg) they will have a date to work to.

GarfieldsGirl · 20/06/2006 20:15

I expect its different all over country, but this is what its like where I live.

finding an agent that takes HB is bloody difficult, there may only be one or two out of dozens of agents, and most of those will not have available properties. When ds1 was born we were in a 1 bed flat. I'd been looking for a 2 bed house (priate rent) since I fell pregnant, the 1st we ound was when he was 5 mths old.

HA - are usually small developments, and purpose built, so really good layout etc, and not on a big grotty council estate. Also some HAs have the odd house scattered around. My friend is paying £320 p/m for a house exactly the same as I used to live in, I was paying £520 p/m rent, the new tenant is paying £700. So if you're lucky you may get a really good house in a decent area that is HA. To get HA place you have to be on council list and council will refer you.

Hillary · 20/06/2006 20:59

I'v been through it all too my local council is very unhelpful to put it mild.

If you are intitled to Housing Benefit i found a letting agent who will take housing benefit, they like single mums!!! They said they look after properties. They have offices all over england have a look on their website: www.belvoirlettings.com

If you need a deposit and your on Income support you can get a loan form Social Security.

Tortington · 20/06/2006 22:05

however if you move to private rented - you usually cannot redecorate or make the place your own in any sense - you will have to pay that deposit back
and you will be stuck there indefinatley becuase as soon as you accenpt a private rented - you will be considered suitably housed.

the rent will be expensive in comparison - and eventually you will have to come off benefits - and cover the rent.

it might be 5 yers away - but the day will come

zippitippitoes · 21/06/2006 08:17

that's a really good point custardo

my dd2 is in this position at the moment she has until the end of July and has just put herself on the council list...

the only way she could get a private rent is by housing benefit so you think she would be better off trying for a council/ha place

sheepgomeep · 01/07/2006 12:14

I'm in this situation at the moment, just sold my house with exp (who forced me to sell.

My council will only recognise me as homeless once I've exchanged and I've got a definite date of completion and it has to be written proof too.

Hoping to exchange next week so I've got four weeks after that for the council to fnd me a place to live.. am bricking it.

tbh we considered privately renting too but like custardo says you can't make the place your own, rent is very expensive and you have to pay the deposit back as well. You also have to stump up at least a grand (in my area) before you can even move in to a rental place. The money for the deposit which here is the same for a months rent (about 550) plus a months rent in advance. v expensive,

spacedonkey · 01/07/2006 12:36

I went through the same situation too - it is worth holding out for a council/HA place even if it does mean putting up with temporary accommodation for a while. As custy says, once you go private you won't stand a chance of getting public housing

ScoobyDooooo · 01/07/2006 12:46

Oh blimey i am also in this situation, i am in rented acc & my contract ends at the end of august, i am on the council list & will be homeless when the contract runs out as the landlord wants to move in here himself now!

I am totally bricking myself to has coursed me alot of stress & upset i am a very routine person & the thought of not knowing where i am going to end up is totally scaring me.

Idoes anyone have any more info on this? What do i have to do in the next 8 weeks should i be speaking to someone? oh god can you tell how unorgainsed i am

spacedonkey · 01/07/2006 12:54

I would get to the Housing Advice office as soon as poss to tell them about the situation. This happened to me quite a long time ago now (8 years), but my first step was to go to housing advice, who were not overly helpful -- don't let this put you off, they are (apparently) trained to do this in order to filter out anyone who is just "trying it on"

You will be categorised as homeless and - depending on where you live - housed either in permanent or temporary accommodation when your lease expires on your current place. At worst you may have to go into B&B accommodation temporarily - this didn't happen to me, but it's as well to brace yourself for the worst eventuality.

How long it takes to get permanently housed depends on where you live and what your housing requirements are (i.e. how many bedrooms you need and any special needs that might need to be catered for). My temporary accommodation was a none-too-shabby two bedroomed flat (for me, dd and ds) for 18 months. I was then offered a brand new three bedroomed HA house. It was well worth the wait.

You shouldn't need to approach HAs separately - if you are on the council list you'll automatically be referred to local HAs, but housing advice will give you all the relevant info.

Good luck!

sheepgomeep · 01/07/2006 13:00

I think I will probably hold out now for council accomodation. I was torn between the two but after finding this thread my mind is more made up now. sd i never even realised that you didn't stand any chance of getting a c/house once you privately rent

scooby its horrible isn't it, not knowing whats going to happen and where you'll be. It's caused me a lot of stress as well.

spacedonkey · 01/07/2006 13:01

sheep, it might not be the case where you live - I'm in the south east where public housing is in desperately short supply. Whereabouts are you?

sheepgomeep · 01/07/2006 13:04

spacedonkey thats really helpful. Thing is though what happens if they put you into b+ b accomodation, I've got a houseful of furniture etc, what happens to that?

I never knew that the council were specifically trained not to be helpful in these situations. I remember ringing them up last year and coming of the phone in floods of tears because they told me I had no hope of being rehoused and I could be in temp accomodation for months. I then spoke to a friend who's been in same situation with the same council and she told me that was bollocks

sheepgomeep · 01/07/2006 13:05

it's in short supply here in wrexham/ north wales. There is a long waiting list spacedonkey

spacedonkey · 01/07/2006 13:06

I know, as if it isn't upsetting enough without getting a bad attitude from a housing officer! I am not 100% sure that they are trained to be offputting, it's just something I've heard from others and seems to fit with my own experience (and others I've heard about). Brace yourself and don't let it put you off.

sheepgomeep · 01/07/2006 13:08

terrible if it is though isn't it. surely they could weed out the non genuine people on the forms we fill in and by doing checks rather than resorting to being offputting and nasty on the phone/meetings etc

spacedonkey · 01/07/2006 13:11

I can only think they don't do that because they don't have the resources. My local council ran a scheme where they used private landlords to supplement public housing stock, so I didn't have to go into B&B - yours might well do the same. It really is worth it in the end.

sheepgomeep · 01/07/2006 13:14

ok I will hold out and not get too downhearted cheers sd

ScoobyDooooo · 01/07/2006 13:27

Oh god this is so hard i am sooo scared.

I am also in the south-east & i know they have not got enough houses etc etc.

I think to myself every week, i will go to the council to speak with someone but i just cant i am too scraed, this probably does sound stupid but i have PND at the moment 7 find it very hard to even get to the local shops!

I have a few other problems is well with regards what to do, my HV is coming to see me again this week she has been helping me but i just feel i do not have the strength for this.

Also i have a partner but we have been having a ruff ride lately which has led to him moving to his parents house 7 coming to see us most nights, i dont know if i should ass him to the council list with myself & the kidss or not? i say this because what happens if we do split who would get the council acc? i dont want to fight for this then lose out IYKWIM? only other question is if i go it alone i am on benefits but if i go it with Dp he has a wage & could support us which is best & will it make a difference to what we get?

Oh this sure is rollercoaster i will be glad when its all over & i can rest & sleep again.

spacedonkey · 01/07/2006 13:31

scooby, I understand, having suffered from depression as well, just getting to the shops for a pint of milk is a major trial, let alone dealing with the bureaucratic nightmare that is the local council. Have you spoken to your HV about your housing situation at all?

ScoobyDooooo · 01/07/2006 13:37

Yes she knows all about it, she is trying to help & has told me to tell them to phone her they also have spoken to my doctor as she knows because i am on ad's.

I have a major problem with ds, thats why i think i am worrying so much, he is an escapie he has escaped from playschool 7 was found half a mile down the road on a main road by a man, he also escaped from home when he was 2.5 he climbed out of the kitchen window when i was alsleep at 7am in the morning, luckily i woke & found him across the road in someones garden 7 then when dd was born 5.5 months ago he decided he was going to start again & he climbed on top of the washing backet (after pulling it to the front door) & opened the door & was found in the main road crossing it.

doctors HV all know all this & told me to write all this on my council form which i did BUT they did not even respond to it. I have to have bolts on all my windows & front back doors & also have to have a very safe garden.

this is why i am so scared because i can not share acc with anyone because of ds, if worst comes to the worst ds will have to stay with my mother but i dont really want to be seperated from him.

HV said leave it till she next comes which is this week thank god & then i will have to start going into the coucil & explaining about how seious this is with ds cause to be honest he is V lucky to be alive.

ScoobyDooooo · 01/07/2006 13:39

I think my main reason for not wanting to go & explain all this is because i am V V Fragile & i KNOW i will burst into tears, i really dont want to do that because i feel very silly!

sorry i have hijacked this thread i should start my own really.

spacedonkey · 02/07/2006 11:34

sorry scooby, just came back to this thread and saw your posts

You have two things there which will (positively) affect your housing application (imo - I'm not an expert!): first of all your depression, for which you are being treated and therefore you'll have the support of your GP and HV with your housing application; secondly, ds escaping behaviour, which should be explained to the council so that they do not put you into shared accommodation (which may not happen in any case - it's a worst case scenario).

Ask your HV if she knows of any organisations who could help you with your housing application, possibly in the form of an advocate who can attend any appointments with you.

Yes, you probably will burst into tears I'm afraid - and you've every right to! This is an extremely stressful situation you are in - don't be too hard on yourself. There is no shame in those tears - if anything they will demonstrate how genuine your situation is. If you can't have an advocate with you, take a trusted friend or family member with you for moral support.

Original poster
jellyjelly · 02/07/2006 12:20

Dont worry about nicking the thread, i hope that it will be useful to you and good luck.

OP posts: