Can anyone help me ... i need advice on housing ......

[Scoobydooooo]

Yes i am in the crapiest of situation & have spent the whole morning crying whats new hey!

Well we are in private rented & have been for the past 2 years in this house, we have a assured shorthold tenancy which ends on the 1st september 2006 the lanlord had served us with a "section 21" notice for eviction on the 18th september we are on the council housing list & i have been speaking to them on & off now since about april, i only have 25 points & we need 95 they have said.

I get on really well with the landlord & he has been very nice & understanding but he does want to move back into his property & is hoping to on the 18th BUT i have phoned the council again today & they have told me come the 18th i do not have to leave & he will have to take me to court la la la la i do NOT want to go to court, i am extremley down & really struggling with this how situation i dont know where to turn but i honestly have sat here today & thought i can not go through this anymore...

My HV still visits me at home because i have PND & i see my docotr about twice a month i can not take this stress its wearing me down & i feel like running away, it has put trmedous amount of stress on mine & dp's relationship.

I have tried everything i have even written to the MP he was very nice & he did try but the council just fobbed him off.

So what the hell can i do now? i just can't go on like this.....

I read your message and as an ex housing officer can I offer you some advice ?? Firstly this situation is far too big for you to handle on your own.
You need to get someone who is familiar with housing the advice to seek help from Shelter was excellent - YOU NEED TO DO IT NOW!!
If not Shelter then another houisng advice organisation.
Also you are being far too nice - I am afraid that you need to be more assertive which I know is not easy when you are feeking this bad. As apalling and distressing as your situation is I am afraid that you need to fight for the help which you need - AND WHICH IS OUT THERE!!
Please dont keep putting this off I have seen this situation so many times before and it doesnt go away! Let me know how you get on and if I can be of any more help let me know. Finally it will get better - you will get rehoused. Trust an old Housing Officer who has seen this situation mre times that she can care to remember
GOOD LUCK

Thanks for the advice, i know i need to not be so nice but i am just struggling because i try to be more assertive & then break down, can you give me any tips on the way to go & anything else i could be saying/writing to the council at this point?

If i phone shelter will they represent me what sort of thing do they do?

sorry for all the questions i am new to this & obviously failing at what i am doing so maybe its time to get tuff & be strong...

I have just tried to phone shelter again but it says all there operators are busy so i will try this evening & see if thats any better, i also tried to email from there sit but the emial is down at the moment...

What you need to do is to gather together all the information which you have ie have you been served with a Notice To Quit or similar ( sorry I am only familiar with Scots Law ).
Any info which supports your claim that you will be made homeless and by which date. Get the phone book out and look up the number of Shelter they do tend to be the best - but if you cant find their number look for other agencies which specialise in housing advice or contact CAB.
They will absoutely take up the case on your behalf and you will be able to at least get some sensible advice on how to work your way through this calmly.
You also need to talk to your Health Visitor and or GP and please tell them of the strain which you are under and get them on board too. Ask for a letter outling the health problems which this situation is causing.
If your hv thinks that you should have greater medical priority - and it seems to me that you should - then I am afraid that you are going to have to speak up and demand it - it will not be awarded unless you provide the evidence and DEMAND that your case is reviewed.
Once you get the ball rolling with this and stop trying to muddle through on your own then I promise you that it will get better. One of the reasons why you are being getting fobbed off by the Council is that unfortunately your situation is all to familiar and you are one of many.
What you must do is to get your case known to the Council and to get as many people on board to help as you can.
I am afraid that in a situation like this you cannot afford the luxury of keeping this to yourself and appearing strong - you MUST now tell it like it is. No one will judge you for asking for help.
Keep in touch

Shameless bump for myself

whoops sorry wrong thread . I was trying to attract ONEOF3 attention on my other thread which I will now bump.
sorry for the interuption Scoobydooo and I hope you get your situation sorted out

albatros - no problem you could have joined my thread i dont have a problem

ONEOF3 - Thank you again, i know exactly what your saying & i have had a form from the doctor which was sent to the council i have also had my hv phone up & speak to them about it & she was saying how bad i was.
I have had a letter from the MP to the council housing manager & they have all my relevant documents & also have my section 21 eviction notice but still nothing.

should i write a letter from myself again saying about how bad i am feeling etc etc i have also written to my doctor & asked if she can contact them again stating about my mental state now.

My HV is visiting me again on the 12th september, & i have also written to the CAB to see what advice they will give me.

My next move is getting through to shelter i have been to there website which does state i will have to go to court & get an official moving out date...

This bloody Right to Buy business sure has come back to bite councils back in the arse!

Hope you get things sorted soon, Scooby.

Hi Scoobydooooo.

I was in a similar situation to you when I fell pregnant. My dp and I were living with my parents and my brother in a small flat, 2 bedrooms. We applied to the council, telling them that my parents were making us homeless, there wasn't thr room for all of us, let alone the baby.

After 2 years of fighting with the council, writing to MPS etc, we finallt got a woman from a local housing association that came round to do an assessment of our circumstances. She was horrified that at almost a year old, dd didn't have her own room, let alone a cot to sleep in. Luckily she was a small child and could still fit in the Moses basket. She organised us accomodation straight away and complained to the council on our behalf.

I too had PND and was on Ad's. I have had other friends who have packed their belongings and camped out at the housing office with their children until they have been housed, but it tends to be on dodgy housing estates or hostels.

You just have to keep on at them, I'm afraid. Going to your HV and GP may hurry things along, especially if they are willing to write letters on your behalf.

I really hope your situation is resolved soon.

Sneding virtual hugs.

Agh - it's frustrating when lines are busy! Are you trying the national phoneline?

If so contact your local housing aid centre direct as well (surrey did you say?). I've had a quick look and it seems like the next time you can phone direct is Fri 9.20am-1pm on 01293 419255 and/or email them NOW on crawley at shelter dot org dot uk.

I'm not trying to pressurise you, honest! But I think you need someone to really work on your behalf. As oneof3 said, the council isn't going to bust a gut to sort out this problem.

Thanks expat, i think council need tp get the whole housing situation sorted its a right mess.

I know of 2 people who were not emergency cases who have been housed in this area, 1 of them which was still in a rented property & not even being evicted but she was given a 3 bedroom house straight away no b&b nothing, then theres people who are homeless or about to loss there home & we get nothing typical huh?

Thanks for sharing that loopylou0612 can not believe you had to live like that that is discusting, glad you have somewhere now.

pointydog - I will email them now to let them know my situation & also try phoning on friday, it's good i need people to push me because i will never do it, as i said i feel like hiding & i have no one else helping me or pushing me to do this so i actually appiciate the fact your doing this for me

Thanks for sharing that loopylou0612 can not believe you had to live like that that is discusting, glad you have somewhere now.

pointydog - I will email them now to let them know my situation & also try phoning on friday, it's good i need people to push me because i will never do it, as i said i feel like hiding & i have no one else helping me or pushing me to do this so i actually appiciate the fact your doing this for me

By the way i did say surrey its woking in surrey...

Re an earlier post of yours, Scooby, Shelter should take you on as a 'case' which means they will do lots of phone calls to the council, landlord, whoever, on your behalf and they are experts at the legal ins and outs so they should get on much better than you!

I worked for Shelter (ooh, about 7 years+ ago but not the housing aid side of things) and they regularly represented people in court.

I do hope they (or CAB) can help you.

Cant stop thinking about you now that I have started this! Once a housing officer always one i spose!!
I too have been on to the Sheler web site and I have a couple of nos do you have them?

emergency no - 0808 8004444

Slough ( is that near you?) 01753 691844
I thought that you did have a date to be out of the flat - 18th Sept??
If you have a letter from your landlord then you cant get much more official than that.

Speak to your HV before the 12th Sept it is too long to wait until then and stop pretending to her everything is fine and yes ask her to write and phone on your behalf.
If I was in your position I would not be putting myself thro any more stress by contacting Council myself - get others to do it for you - to lobby on your behalf.
You must just concentrate on keeping things together at home for now and let others help.
Try Shelter again - now

Thanks ONEOF3, i have tried them again & still no one avaliable that is the number i am calling.

I have seen my hv today but obviously did not want to go into full detail.

I have been served with a "section 21" which is an official eviction notice i had 2 months from when this was served 7 the date to leave the property was the 18th september BUT i phoned the coucil today & spoke with a housing manager who told me that i DO NOT have to leave on this date & that i can stay in my property until the landlord takes me to court...

Thanks for that advice pointydog it's the council i want them to talk to but i know exactly what the council are going to say to whoever contacts them "she only has 25 points though & she needs 95 before we can house her" exactly what they told my MP

Just tried slough but they are closed due to staff shortage & will not be open till tuesday the 29th august so guess thats that one out the window...

I seem to be getting the message no one wants me to get through to them lol

I am on hold waiting for an advisor on the emergency number..... eeek i am scared.

Did you manage to get through?

No i stayed on hold for about 15 mins then it said i am sorry are lines are now closed??? very confusing because they dont close till midnight then it transfered me & just rang & rang & rang, so in the end i hung up i have tried called back but it says all there advisors are busy & to call again, i will keep trying & will keep you updated...

By the way if i don't agree with the medical points i have been given by the council can i make them look at it again?

I am on hold again now..... not confident though as there phone lines are strange..

Hi Hun,

If you can possibly manage it you need to go to the doctors in person. Writing and saying how crap you feel will not get you the medical advice and help you could probably use right now. Please try to go to the gp, it doesn't matter if you cry or if you don't. If you want take a print out of this conversation and let them read it or pop it all in writing and take it in person to the gp. They will understand if you can't physically speak about whats going on but the gp needs to say in his/her letter to the council that he saw you on such and such a date etc....
You need to keep pushing and if you can't then your Dh can. He can speak to your doctor or the hv and he can go on at the housing officer on a regular basis.
I would reccomend you try to go back on the ad's and by the time this goes to court you will hopefully be feeling a bit stronger xxx
From personal experience I would say don't worry, the council will not leave you ad your kids on the street if you are made unitentionally homeless!!
Take care xxxx

Hi Magnolia,
I know exactly what your saying & i will still post my letter to her but i will also go & see her because i am sure she will either phone me or send me a letter asking me to come & see her, i then will have all my feelings & how bad i am feeling in my said letter so she will already know. I am just not ready to do this week but i will make an appointment for next week as soon as i can.

Thanks for coming back here