I AM SO VERY VERY MAD...........I HATE MY COUNCIL

[Titania]

We have been next on the council housing list for the past 7 months, and have been on the list for a total of 3 and a half years so far.

I knew there was a house coming up this month and that it was a 3 bed house with a garden....the council said we were next on the list so technically it should have been ours.

Well apparently a single mum has just waltzed in from a completley different county and they put her straight in it!!!! She doesn't even need the 3 bedrooms as she has 2 young girls, who technically, according to the council themselves, can share a bedroom.

I have nothing against single mums, please please please don't get me wrong, but I think its a bit unfair, especially as we have been waiting for so long.

5 of us live in a 2 bed first floor flat, that is covered in mould and dd has asthma. We have no garden and have been on the list 3 and a half years........does anyone else think this is unfair???

I am at the end of my tether.....I really thought we would be able to move soon....I hate it here so very very much and so do the kids...... God knows how long it will take for another one to come up, as the council have said they don't come empty very often as people either stay in them or buy them.

I don't know what to do now.....we can't get a mortgage and the private rents round here are so high for a 3 bed house...we can't afford them. Apparently, DH earns 'just a bit' too much money for us to get housing benefit as well, otherwise that would make a difference.

Oh I'm so very upset Sad that my children havent got a garden to play in, sad that my daughter has asthma which isnt helped by the mould, sad that I have to replace the childrend pillows and duvets up to twice a month as they get covered in mould.

What have I done to my children???...... If I had known that it was all going to be this difficult I would never have brought the poor litle darlings into the world

Sorry to rant.....going to go have a cry now

sorry i not got back to you all sooner.....had a manic few days......

anyway...here goes!!

the woman who got the house turns out has only got ONE child living at home....she was homeless cos the landlord wanted to sell the property, so she was put on the homeless list....anyway, in this time, she actually managed to get a mortgage....she was 4 days off signing....the council offered her a 2 bed property which she turned down cos.......wait for it.....she didnt like the bathroom!! so they offered her the 3 bed house we could have had.......she is putting her other kids through university and has plenty of money.........am so very very mad!! Anyway, i rang a councillor who is now on the case for me....so just wait and see i suppose.

Nutty thanks.....telford is a bit too far with DHs work. but thanks ever so much anyway.

Yes we only had 10 points for dds asthma.....HV says she thinks ds2 has got asthma too now so i am going to take him to the doctors and get a diagnosis......i wont be happy if he has got it too......

I was talking to another woman today who has just been put on the homeless list this week.....for a 3 bed house.....i daresay that will mean we have to wait even longer now

Ive lost the will to battle in a way now

someone suggested going to the papers.....not sure if that will work though, or if its a bit drastic?

well surely if the woman was that desperate for a house she should've taken the 2-bedroom. i had to take a 2 bed flat when i was homeless, and i was grateful for that as it meant a roof over my head i could call my own. and i had 2 girls!!

maybe try again with the counciller, head of housing, the head of the council ect b4 going to the papers. If you have no sucess that way then go to the papers. dont play all your cards at once. i was holding off going to the papers for as long as possible. in the end we didnt need to.

thats what i thought misdee....i am so mad that this woman was handed this house on a plate after turning down a different one......surely she shouldnt be allowed to do that?

Try the Head of the Council first titania, in writing.

I really hope things improve for you.

the only basis i could turn a property down was if it was in a bad state of repair, and even then my solicitor advised me to accept the 1st one offered and then take itmup with the council to get something better, or force them to do repairs.

Each council is different, but here, if you are on the homeless list then u have toi take the 1st property offered or else they boot you off the list.

If you are homeless then you have to have a better reason than not liking the bathroom to turn a house down.

I turned down a masionette i was offerd on the grounds that it had no heating which i felt was unsuitable for dd2 who has asthma.
Because my medical points were actually for my depression, my refusal of the property automatically ment i had my medical points removed.

They are supposed to be changing the system so that people can't jump in front of people who have been waiting for ages just because they are homeless, but i never saw any evidence of this either.

TGB is right a letter to the head of the council would be a great idea.
I know what you mean about contacting the papers as i was reluctant to do that too, but i would have done it if i had been refused this house.

Definatly keep talking to the councillor and get them as involved as poss and make sure you give the concil permission to talk about you with them otherwise they may refuse.

You do have to be so tough with them and i know it is hard if you keep getting knock backs, but keep at it.
Like lots of people said to me, the more you moan at them the more likely your name is to be on the tip of their tounge when a house becomes empty.

I found it a good idea to wait until i was having a stressful day and then ring them. That way i was less likely to be fobbed off.

I will keep looking for you, and of course let you know if i find anything of any interest.

well....thats it......no chance ever......the coucellor I rang to help has just got back in touch with me....said that the other house coming up has been allocated....that there are 35 people on the homeless list and that the council are obliged to house 20 of them.......so I've got no chance of getting a house ever at this rate...I have lost all hope.......

contact the papers

yup, time to conatct the papers.

u must be overcrowded, the mould/damp issue etc. kick up a fuss.

have u tried going even higher in the council?

Message withdrawn

have you tried these people:-

www.hyps.org.uk/index.html

short for housing young people in shrewsbury

they help under 25s find housing