Voluntarily Homless

[DesparteSeeking]

For background/context...I am on my own with 2 sons, 8&12, youngest has some additional need and is not able to attend after school care. We also have a beautiful dog.

I previously private rented a house We loved In the countryside for 9 years, then LL started telling me she was selling, firstly it was next year, then it was this year. Meanwhile, my gran can no longer live in her city flat due to health, and has been moved into sheltered housing for which she pays rent. She repeatedly told me to go in the flat and pay a reduced rent, I said no, then after one conversation with my LL, I panicked and agreed to go in. The flat needed alot of work, which I did, I paid 7k (ALL MY SAVINGS I AM SO STUPID) renovating the flooring and ceilings, and have paid over 2.5k in rent in 3 months.

We hate the flat, the location/childrens feelings/my feelings are beyond what i could have imagined, the dog hates it, the school run is too far (my youngest cant move). We often drive around in the car so we don't have to go back. I have a mid senior job role and have been pulled up on my performance drop after I had what felt like a breakdown. I cannot afford the council tax/fuel.

So, the flat is being sold, my gran accepted an offer over asking price. She had told me she was going to give me an amount to set us up, which is what I have worked towards. I have been accepted on a FTB scheme and have an offer accepted on a fixer Upper.

But...she has since told me 4 times that she's not giving me any money, she has also included my white goods which I had to save for in her sale without even telling me. The sale is set for 22nd September.

If I don't get any money to go through with my sale, we have nowhere to go, nowhere. I cannot afford private rent, and houses go so quickly I barely get a look in.

My question is, if she doesn't give me the money (which she proposed and promised and banged on about, and also got me to sign a piece of paper to say I would get it), do I have to stay in situ and refuse to leave before I can access social housing ? I know its not the right way, I know, but I am desperate. I was previously advised this by my local council, has anyone else heard this? The family relationship would obviously break down, but we will be homeless.

So sorry to hear about all your troubles.

Yes you do have to stay in situ and refuse to leave in order to access social housing. Otherwise you are making yourself voluntarily homeless. It’s an awful system.

I am sorry OP and I remember your previous thread when you were undecided about the move. Sounds like the move really unsettled you, I can really relate having done a similar move and also being a single mum. As you are working I don't think you would generally qualify for social housing, unless it was in an area where there is an excess of social housing? I am not sure if you are voluntarily homeless though as your gran decided to sell at the end of the day, not sure that what you might of said to her beforehand really figures? She might not be allowed to give you the money back for the repairs very easily due to needing to fund her care, do you have receipts from the work done? as that might help? gingerbread helpline may be able to advise you? Where do you want to live now, and where is realistic? The rural area you were before or the city?

Thank you so much for the replies.

I will try calling Gingerbread, i hadnt thought of that, thank you. I have tried Shelter so many times but no one answers, I can only imagine how busy they must be.

Do I stop paying rent to 'activate' enforcement? I am a little behind on the rent, I have been here 3 months and paid 3 months but my agreement is "in advance", i just cant afford to live in the city. I haven't been given an eviction notice.

If she hasn't given you any paperwork at all, the council won't help you, and it's very likely no-one would be legally able to remove you from the house without this.

I'd suggest going to the council and asking if they will help, when they would help, and what sort of paperwork would be needed. It may be that they would ask for a valid Section 21, for example, which could take a long time to sort out. Ask them to put all of this in writing for you.

Then explain all of this to your gran, and explain how much money you would need in order to be able to vacate the property before 22nd September (and when you'd need this money by). It may be that you can come to an agreement where she gives you X amount of money now, to enable you to find a new rental agreement?

Otherwise, you'll need to stick it out until, at the very least, you have some valid paperwork to show the council.

It may be worth giving the estate agents etc a heads up as to the situation- when you do that, you can explain that the white goods are yours and you'll take them with you when you leave OR the new buyers can buy them from you separately (which would be a way to raise some cash to maybe help with finding a new rental property).