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Original poster

Desperatley overcrowded & waiting for a housing transfer help !!

50 replies

chasingmybabies3 · 11/11/2015 22:43

Hi,

There are 5 of us cramped into a 1 bedroom flat. Myself, the other half & 3 children. We are living in a housing association property and are using the bidding system which seems pretty much pointless as our housing association have virtually no housing stock plus were such a low priority. We have been awarded a band C & have no medical needs. Our entitlement is a 3 bedroom property but there is a huge shortage in London. Does anyone have any advice on how to get a management transfer or a transfer to the local council ? Interested to hear from anyone in a similar situation & how you cope as i'm pulling my hair out! Or how long did it take you to get a housing transfer if your in band C ?

OP posts:
Fatmomma99 · 12/11/2015 01:01

have you spoken to Shelter?

If not, do.

And where I live/in my line of work you are fortunate. I have families with no roof over their heads. It's shit.

I fucking hate the Tories!

Original poster
chasingmybabies3 · 12/11/2015 22:10

No but I will do thks

My OH got this flat 20 years ago which was suitable for a single peron.

Me too!!!

OP posts:
MumOnTheRunAgain · 12/11/2015 22:17

So why have 3 kids there? And what have 'the tories' got to do with it?

gamerchick · 12/11/2015 22:18

What about an exchange instead?

Leavingsosoon · 12/11/2015 22:20

Oh that's nice Mum Hmm

I guess moving out of London isn't an option? Sad Sounds rotten.

MumOnTheRunAgain · 12/11/2015 22:21

Genuine questions actually leaving

coffeeisnectar · 12/11/2015 22:30

I'm with mum. Why have three kids when you can't house them?

You need to look at moving into private rent or right out the area.

One of my friends was in temporary housing with her son for three years, he has SN and they needed somewhere on the ground floor. Not in London either. She's just been housed.

I think you'll be waiting a very ling time where you are. We lost our owned home and now private rent, which is crippling financially but my kids (2 of them) need a home and I need to provide it.

Having three kids (unless you had triplets) in a one bed place is utter madness.

Original poster
chasingmybabies3 · 12/11/2015 22:41

Were registered with the house swap sites and have been for years but have only came close once. Someone wanting to downsize from a 3 bedroom to a 1 bedroom. Apparantley she was advised not to move to another property with stairs due to health issues. Lots of timewasters plus nobody wants to swap from a 3 to a 1 bedroom on the 1st floor with no garden.

We are desperate !! so willing to move out of London if given the opportunity. Our local mp has written a letter to the housing asscoc on our behalf so although I wont be holding my breath...we will await to see the response.

We are a working family but not in a position to get a mortgage.

OP posts:
MumOnTheRunAgain · 12/11/2015 22:46

Why did your mp get involved? What was the aim?

Micah · 12/11/2015 22:50

I'm with the others too, if you were in there when you had 3 children it was your choice to crowd you all in, so why is it suddenly so desperate?

If you're willing to move out of London why not consider a private rental in a cheaper area? Why must it be ha?

Original poster
chasingmybabies3 · 12/11/2015 22:56

Just joined this site & loving the negative comments NOT 'mum & co'

Utter madness ehh - I met my partner late in life.... we struggled concieving & were refferred for IVF but luckily fell pregnant after investigations got things moving...had to pay for our 2nd child & as we had never got pregnant without help we were totally surprised when we got pregnant with of 3rd child. Although our living arrangement is currently dreadful we are very fortunate to be blessed with 3 perfect angels.

There is no way we could afford private rents here & as a working household we need to live within commutable distance

OP posts:
MumOnTheRunAgain · 12/11/2015 23:03

Negative comments? Well no, no they are not. Realistic, maybe

Your comment about the MP made me wonder if there were some hidden extra needs, but you say not. So why did a busy MP get involved? Overcrowding is extremely common, your case is not unusual, so what made an MP step in?

You planned children. But did you really think you'd get moved? I still don't understand the 'tories' comment either. At band c your best bet would be private rental. Commuting into London if necessary

Fatmomma99 · 13/11/2015 00:01

mumontherun - because the tories are cunts!

MumOnTheRunAgain · 13/11/2015 00:03

Yes but how are they to blame for this??

ConstanceMarkYaBitch · 13/11/2015 00:09

I don't think you'll ever get anywhere. You're a low priority band, you deliberately overcrowded yourself... I guess you'll just have to house yourself like most people have to. I sympathise but you had to know this would happen.

HamaTime · 13/11/2015 00:27

Government policy actually has quite a lot to do with housing Hmm

You now need to earn a salary of £65K to afford to buy anything in London. House building is at it's lowest level since the 1920's. There is a huge housing shortage and rather than do anything to address it the government has removed the requirement for developers to build homes for rent, failed to control planning so it reflects the needs of the community, sold of existing housing stock and is trying to make housing associations do the same and introduced 'affordable' housing to but you need to earn 2-3x the national salary to afford it. A Tory MP, Philip Davies (of blocking free hospital parking for carers fame), recently said that making sure homes were fit for human habitation put an unnecessary burden on landlords.

Working adults with kids shouldn't be stuck in 1 bed accommodation. Housing policy is very much the remit of the government.

ConstanceMarkYaBitch · 13/11/2015 00:36

Of course housing policy is government remit, but the government doesn't make anyone have three children when they live in a one bed apt, and the government can't hand out houses to everyone who deliberately has far more children than they can house!
I rent a 4bed, I cant decide to have six more children and expect my mp to get me a ten bedroom house.

MumOnTheRunAgain · 13/11/2015 12:32

In band c there will always be thousands above you in the queue anyway

Palomb · 13/11/2015 12:37

You will have to wait until your children are too old to share like everyone else who has multiple children in unsuitable housing.

There are parts of the country you would probably be housed fairly quickly. Get online and register.

JeffsanArsehole · 13/11/2015 13:31

Wouldn't you get housing benefit towards a private rental? I appreciate you can't afford to buy.

It's got to be better than all living in a one bed. The children need space for play and study.

Twinkie1 · 13/11/2015 13:44

This is the sort of entitled attitude that makes tax payers blood boil and resentment build up. You deliberately had 3 kids whilst living in a 1 bedroom flat and just expect to be rehoused. Did you not think it may be a bit of a squeeze each time you decided to have another child?

If we had another child or two we'd have to either find the money ourselves to move to a larger property or squish everyone in together, why in God's name it should be different for people in social housing is beyond me.

Movingonmymind · 13/11/2015 13:50

We've adapted according to all sorts of needs over the years - private rentals and commuting as also priced out of living in London, like so many. Suggest you do the same.

EssentialHummus · 13/11/2015 13:56

What Twinkie and moving said - increase your working hours, move out and commute, or accept the situation you've created for yourself. I'm biting my tongue and not saying more.

Pantone363 · 13/11/2015 13:58

We have people living in the woods here. Actual normal young WORKING men living in the woods. They've built huts/shelters out of wood, old bits of metal sheeting and tarps.

No family to live with,no housing benefit, high rents and no social housing.

Yep 2015 and working men living in the woods.

And not dreadlocked hippies making a statement or communist anarchists squatting. Just normal young blokes with nowhere else to go.

Fuck us hey

Pantone363 · 13/11/2015 14:00

You'll have to move pretty far out. We're an hour out of London and it's still too expensive for a lot of people to live.

I LOVE the just move people.

Make sure you have your couple of grand deposit, guarantor, house that actually allows kids, moving costs saved up, school places and new jobs first love.