How do you get social housing in London?

[HappyNewTaxYear]

Just that really. How do you get on a list? How long are the lists?

You apply through your local council, it'll depend on where you are as to how long the list is. Apply for council housing - GOV.UK

The lists are incredibly long.

Basically you need to be homeless with children, and they will put you in temporary accommodation for months, maybe years, and then suddenly make an offer with no alternatives.

In mu borough it's a 5 year waiting list and many people are stuck in overcrowded temporary accommodation. The private housing sector is extremely expensive but people have not much choice.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/national-housing-federation-social-home-waiting-list-councils-boroughs-families-shelter-crisis-b1221427.html

Don't hold your breath.

What's your housing situation @HappyNewTaxYear

Work for the council...

I think it is near impossible.

I follow a woman who has been in temporary accommodation for years with her children.

Forget it.

Not a hope in London or surrounding boroughs. Any news home built are not council houses and that’s what’s needed.

I watched a documentary on this a few years ago. Was quite interesting it showed you the meetings and progress of all the families trying to get housed in London. They were all offered housing in Birmingham.

Secure, thank you. I was thinking of my adult son who is going to need to live there. Then I realised I had no idea how the system works.

If he’s moving into the area he will need to rent privately.

That’s awful, poor woman.

So all the people who currently live in social housing in London, how long have they been there and would they have been on lists for years and years? Is it needs-based eg if you had say, seven children, would that put you higher up the list, or are there any jobs which would put you higher eg hospital jobs? Or would it be impossible to get such housing if you were in work?

I really do feel sorry for single males - they stand little to no chance of social housing unless having been a resident suffering a bereavement and given a smaller property. Apart from that, no chance. No wonder depression is rife.

I know. It just made me wonder. I don’t know anyone in such housing in London to ask, although I have known people who bought their West London council houses under the Right to Buy, but that was thirty years ago.

There’s extra points if you’ve served in the forces ( or there was). Coming out of service is tough.
Plus I guess they’re potentially pretty dangerous if their on the streets

Boat migrants in the UK are initially accommodated in various locations, including hotels, military sites, and even a barge, before being dispersed for further processing and potential asylum decisions. The government aims to reduce reliance on expensive hotel accommodation by using surplus military sites like Scampton and Wethersfield, and the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset.

Initial Accommodation:
Upon arrival, boat migrants are often housed in hotels while their asylum claims are processed.

Military Sites:
The government has been using surplus military sites, such as Wethersfield in Essex and Scampton in Lincolnshire, to accommodate asylum seekers. Bexhill in East Sussex is also being considered as a potential accommodation site.

Barge:
The Bibby Stockholm barge, initially moored in Portland, Dorset, was used to accommodate asylum seekers while their claims were processed. It has since been moved.

Dispersal:
Once a decision is made on their asylum claim, asylum seekers are often dispersed to various locations across the UK, including those in Dorset, Northumberland, Cardiff, and other areas.

Hotel Reliance:
The government aims to reduce reliance on hotels, but 220 hotels are currently being used for asylum seeker accommodation.

Does he actually need social housing?

@Supersimkin7 Do people who’ve arrived on small boats not get put in hotels which have been arranged specifically for the purpose though? Like Potters International Hotel in Aldershot, I know there are a lot there. Surely they don’t get actual social housing? And it would only be temporary anyway wouldn’t it?

This is disgraceful that boat people go to top of waiting lists above of disabled people.

To be clear, I only started this thread to find out how London social housing works. I’m sure my son will have to rent privately. I can’t help him financially though.

But when you say ‘need social housing’ - what even counts as ‘need’ in social housing criteria?

The best option for your son, especially if he's not on a high income, is to look for a flat share or be a lodger.

I don't think any council is going to house a single person without some sort of special needs or is a key worker. Can he not flat share?