Council housing

[Newmammaof1]

....

I live in a private rented flat on the 4th floor, no lifts with a two year old, I'm not allowed to leave my buggy downstairs so have to pull up more than 84 stairs everyday with child in my arms. I'm single live alone.

My tenancy ends next month and I'm not going to renew it. There is damp all over my flat and outside my front door the whole building is damp and mouldy.

It's affecting my asthma, Plus the stairs. If I leave and go to the council will they put me on a house list, also my rent is to high, barely have enough at the end of the month.

I don't mind going into a B&B or hostel, temporary accommodation if it means in the end I will get a house. Will I be able to go on there all they say that I made myself intentionally homeless, I rent with hosing benefit so it's quite hard to find somewhere else, and I want stability for my daughter hence why I want a council house. I'm by myself and the way I see it is I can't work complete full time until she's in school secondary school, as I always have to start after 9 to drop her to school and finish at 2 to pick her up from school, so I'm considering going there my mum has no space for me so I will be homeless, what is far is making me really depressed and sick and on extra inhalers and tablets for my asthma.

Will it work? How does it work? I'm in Lambeth Borough but want to go to bromley Borough closer to family.

Thanks for any advice x

I have no idea if your plan would work, but wanted to suggest working with the council to force your landlord to make your current house safe/ bring it up to standard. If it is as bad as you say, it's not up to standard and you might get more support fixing up your place than turning up expecting to be housed.

I think it could be classed as intentionally homeless and from what I have heard of the emergency accommodation it is really unpleasant and you could be there years. London is so tough to find somewhere. Have you spoken to Shelter? They would be able to advise you best.

Have you tried buying a dehumidifier ?

Maybe some of the responses on your identical thread from yesterday might be of use?

It would be classed as Intentionally Homeless, OP .

Also, Bromley Council and Housing, requires you to live in the Borough for at least 5 years before they will think of Housing You This happened to a friend so she is currently renting in Bromley.

Some is, some isn't .
Its really the luck of the draw where you will be temporarily Housed.

I'm sorry you are in this position the housing situation is dire right now. But please don't dismiss working. Many families and lone parents (I'm one) manage to work with wrap around care and holiday clubs. If you remain on part benefits they will cover the cost of childcare up to 85% and you maybe then be in a better position to private rent.

Your plan will not work, you sound like you've just read a ridiculous article about how they give out lovely flats. You will be classed as intentionally homeless for 1, and 2 you can't give a wish list of places you want to live in.
If you think your current flat is bad, you have no idea what's waiting for you in temporary accommodation alongside a 10+ year waiting list.
Since 2016, local authorities have absolutely no legal duty to give you social housing, what will happen is they will help you find suitable private accomodation, if they deem you are eligible to go on the list.
Your accomodation in the meantime will be anywhere. Literally. I helped a family at work yesterday who have been housed in Hackney after escaping DV in Fulham. The kid hasn't been at school since March. They have been told they're moving to another temp accomodation place in 2 weeks on another end of London.
It's not a fun process by any stretch and it sounds like your understanding of the system is very minimal.

TBH OP it will be extremely hard to get a property in any of the London Boroughs, there are so many people with children on the waiting lists you will not be unique.
If you privately rented before couldnt you look to do that again?

Fwiw while I'm at the other end of the country I do work in a role where I link in with housing all the time and in my experience no, you would not be able to make yourself intentionally homeless, sign up for social housing, leapfrog over over the many thousands of people who have been waiting for a house for up to a decade and get rehoused in a specific area of your choice because you have asthma + low mood and want to be near your mum.

You would get Band B priority max (4-5 year wait here) and would be offered some practical help in securing a private let that accepts HB and probably a Discretionary Housing Payment to help with deposit/first month's rent.

The only women being offered temp housing/ B+Bs/hostels in my experience are those fleeing abuse or similar.

Also, you can't work till DD is in secondary school? Tells us a lot.

Didn't like the answers on that thread. It's a daft plan and likely to backfire.

The only way you'll get a council house quicker than London is if you move out of it and then it might be a fair distance away. You would be better off putting energies into getting your place more livable.

How much rent can you afford to pay each month, it would be quicker to orivately rent and put your name down on the housing list but you wont just suddenly be given a council house in bromley,

You can look up the statistics for council housing lists per Borough in London
How many people
Estimated waiting times

People have been on the lists for years

Of course you can work. That’s why there’s wraparound care. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s life.

You won't have a hope in hail of the Council doing anything.

No it won't work because you are making yourself intentionally homeless. You need to move to Bromley in a private let to establish your connection there then go on the list.

How the hell do you think everyone else manages to work before their kids are in secondary school?!

The housing lists are so long in London that some boroughs now offer people housing in completely different parts of the country like the Midlands. If you turn down what they offer you I think you get sent straight back to the end of the list. The chances of you being housed closer to your mum before your daughter starts secondary school are fairly slim unfortunately.

I’m in the London borough of bexley and the housing situation is a nightmare. I have two children with disabilities and even though they have given me medical priority band 2 they cant rehouse me for years and I have been waiting 5 years already . Bromley borough is the same have to live in the bromley borough for 5 years before they will put you on their housing list .