Council want to house us opposite paedos!!

[Ilovepugs2017]

I’ll try and cut a long story short.
We are at risk of homelessness due to our landlord wanting to sell. Our section 21 ran out in July.
we have been bidding on properties every week with no luck.
The council bid on a property on our behalf in our local area (for personal reasons I didn’t bid on this particular property - issues with threats of assault from someone living on the same street as the one advertised).
anyway we were no.2 in the queue and couldn’t withdraw the bid which gave me huge anxiety. I’d even emailed the housing officer to say I didn’t bid for personal reasons.
2 weeks later which is today they have called and offered us the property. They have said if we refuse to take it they will help us no further!!
my partner has been to speak to a couple of the neighbours and they have said to be warned that a couple of convicted paedos live opposite the back entrance!

we have three young children how is this acceptable?
Im going to refuse the house and appeal!
anxiety is through the roof!! :(
anyone been through similar?

Shelter advice is to accept the offer and only then challenge suitability. Refusing the offer is a massive risk.

Brilliant😂And totally agree.

You would be absolutely mad to turn this house down. And how do you know those people living in the road just don't like the idea of noisy kids living there and are trying to put you off???

If you refuse this property you will not get anything else unless you want to live in a car or tent! I know how the councils work and your appeal would absolutely fail.

Decision time OP...

BTW, it's not the sex offenders that the authorities know about that should worry you ,but the ones who have committed crimes but are not brought to justice.

@StudentMumTo3 I agree with you, South Wales, especially some of the smaller towns, can be a very different experience to anywhere else in terms of jobs/ housing/ even expectations from the people around you in terms of ambition and future-proofing yourself in terms of work. I love living here, but it can't be compared at all to living in England- I have done both, and the culture of both is very different.

I wonder if some posters have forgotten this is the property/ DIY board and not AIBU?

@Ilovepugs2017 I think you have had some good advice about accepting it and then asking for a review, I hope things are feeling a bit better for you this morning.

You need to take the house. You don’t have to stay forever.
Paedos are everywhere OP. At least you know where they are…..

I work in Housing- take the house, then look to move.

Especially if the appeal is based on 'someome told me there's a convicted paedo in that house diagonally opposite and another in that one diagonally opposite, but I have absolutely no proof that this is even true and not some ridiculous rumour, oh and btw, if that isn't convincing my sister's ex who once made threats lives up the road'

So 2 convicted paedophiles that have moved into the same estate, told everyone they are convicted paedos rather than changing their names and keeping quiet, like actual convicted paedos do, what are the chances eh?

So much nastiness on this thread from a couple of bullies! It does sound like you really can’t afford for only one of you to be in work, and at that part time, and that has led to you being stuck in this situation. You do need to take some responsibility for that and accept that you have no other viable option than to accept this house and continue to appeal for a move. Best of luck!

Well I'm calling bollocks on the partners job situation.

Only part time available, my arse.

If that's the case get two part time jobs.

I live in an area similar to you OP and EVERYWHERE is crying out for employees.

Then report it.

You don’t need to have anything to do with your neighbours, so this shouldn’t be an issue. We don’t know anything about our neighbours and we’ve lived here for 20 years.

It's estimated that between 1 - 5% of men have paedophilic desires so I'd say statistically you'll be living fairly close to a paedophile wherever you live.

Then again, if you asked my two neighbours (who don't get on), they'd both claim the other was a paedophile. I'd take it with a pinch of salt.

Of course you can't move in the same street as someone who has threatened you in the past and who you fear will assault you again or make your life a misery in other ways.

But equally a council can't run its housing policy on the basis that this is a clincher. If the sister's ex was constantly at OP's house bellowing threats, stalking them and heaving bricks through their windows, it might be. However, given that he has never followed through on his threat - and I'm sure he could have found OP if he really wanted to - the chances are that it was all hot air and he's moved on now, especially if he has a new girlfriend.

OP I think people have replied as they have as you seemed very entitled. But I understand with kids why you would be worried about potentially living near paedophiles. However, they can be living absolutely anywhere. You can take care to safeguard your children to the best of your ability. Knowing where they are perhaps gives you an advantage over the rest of the population who have no idea where the closest peados are lurking.

Anxiety is a bitch and your situation is less than ideal. But realistically you have no option but to accept and then go theough the process that pp have suggested.

Good luck.

I think that ships sailed if she has already outstayed her Section 21 (not totally clear from OP) as her reference will presumably state that and no sensible LL will let her in their house, especially given the number of tenants desperate for every rental property on the market.

I wouldn’t want to live on a street where I knew there were paedos either, yes we all know they could be anywhere but I dont believe anyone would actually choose to, so I see your point op.

Only thing is, it doesnt sound like you’ve got a choice?

If everyone knows who these peadophiles are (and that it’s definitely true) why are they being allowed to live there in peace? Why isn’t everyone making their life hell so they move somewhere else? (And so on!)

You say we in your op so I’m assuming you’re part of a couple, so what’s your husband/partner saying about this man who your scared of? When’s he going to grow some and protect his family? and maybe go and earn enough so that he can provide you all with a nice home instead of having to accept free ones next to paedos and god knows what else

Private rentals will be off the radar for the foreseeable due to being evicted from their current house via court orders. But OP did explain that private rentals aren’t an option anyway further up thread somewhere.

it really is this or nothing.

It seems like a troll thread but for what it’s worth, I do believe it. I don’t think the sister’s violent ex exists otherwise it would likely have been mentioned earlier.

If I was in this situation, I’d take the house graciously. I’d work hard to make it a home and if after a year I was not happy there, I’d apply to move on. I’d find work. There really isn’t any other option.

It really does astound me how some people can't see past the end of their own noses. People who can't understand that policy varies from local authority to local authority. People who can't grasp that life experiences vary depending on priveledge.

Look up, take off the blinkers, poverty is rife.

@Ilovepugs2017 good luck. It's a terrible position to be stuck in, been there. Housing is first priority, everything else will fall into place.
If your anxiety and ill health are so debilitating you cannot work you may be entitled to disability benefits. Have you looked in to that? Proof of entitlement opens lots of doors to support.

i feel like people dont realise that people in social housing STILL PAY RENT! Of course you dont want to pay rent to live somewhere Where they are getting threatened and possibly living near a few pedos with young kids.

I live in social housing BUT my rent is actually only £70 a monthish less than if i private rented as it isnt under a affordability scheme, i just like the ability to swap into other properties if I need to move area.

I would forget about the Pedo claim and focus on the fact that there are people who live on the street you feel would be a risk to your and your childs lifes.

dont explain it as personal issues as theyll see it is against the house, explain it as domestic abuse issues and a risk to the childrens life and welfare.

This is good advice.

You can still request a review of suitability once you've moved in it won't disadvantageyou that you have done. Tbh then you will know if living near the ex is a problem or not.

The rumours about neighbours are not going to help you. The threats from the ex might do.

OP I think your getting a rough ride here. Who in their right mind would want to live by a convicted paedophile? I think if any pp had a choice they wouldnt either. So just ignore them. Sadly these scum HAVE to live somewhere (why not an island in the middle on the sea I dont know)
But you do have a MAJOR advantage of knowing about them.
If I was you ide accept the house then try to exchange out asap. You've already said your happy moving miles away someone will want to swap with you. Good luck.

Accept the house OP. I have anxiety and can appreciate how it makes a situation 100% worse. I seriously doubt the story about the peados to be true. There is a man on my street who accuses anyone he falls out with of being one. Or someone who visits the house regularly is one. With regard to the threats you have received previously, it sounds like it was part of your sister’s break up? So probably over now? If not, report anything to the police. There is a record already so he could be made to move as part of a non molestation order if he starts again.

Sometimes, the worst threats are the ones you don’t know about. You can’t know an area until you live there. Better the devil you know and all that

Wow, suggesting arson with intent to endanger life based on rumours from a man who might just not want a new large family on his street, and you think the rest of us should f*ck off!