How to get a council house -C4

[heyhulahoop]

Anyone watching? It's so depressing. So many zero hours contracts and racist rants.

The polish and ugandan couple should have been more grateful that the council had agreed to help them find a private rent that accepts hb. Instead they just ranted at the officer about wanting a council house, which leads me to believe that they were not genuinely homeless. Surely one would be thankful for any help to provide a roof for their children.

Dh and I were briefly at the mercy of the council due to a string of bad luck and ill health. It was AWFUL.

Only because I'm educated and very pedantic did we get somewhere to live.

Vulnerable people with learning difficulties and no family support are buggered these days.

We had been given notice by our landlord... which we were in breach of...still living in property due to having nowhere to go... and the council kept losing our paperwork.

The poor landlord was beside himself...we had everything packed and boxed and nowhere to put it.

We were happy to take private or a flat or anything they had...they were just awful.

In the end, I received a call from a woman who was from memory, acting as a sort of governor...her job was to check the council were doing their jobs...I told her everything and the next day, the council housed us...but not before the housing officer said "Have you been telling tales on us!?"

I put her back in her place too. The day we found out we'd got a flat, the landlord in his desperation offered for DH and I to go and live with him in his own house! Poor man. We felt terrible but so happy we could tell him we had a flat at last!

We stayed in a council flat for a year before we got on our feet and left to rent privately. Couldn't get out fast enough.

NEVER again.

god this was so sad

I don't think the polish lady and her dh were ungrateful

just tired of being stuck in a cycle of poverty due to unaffordable unsecure housing

they just wanted an affordable secure roof over their heads

and I really hope the Romanian man found work, I really felt for his children. god knows what they were fleeing to want to come over to this shit hole country x

Honestly , how rude was the housing officer ,Ouchi I think her name was?! To say to the Romanian family 'Really, you bring school transfer papers over and you haven't even got a home?' is beyond rude! And all this ' Aww, why are you crying?' why do you think people are crying, they are homeless?!!

I need to stop watching this.

This is quite addictive watching and I am sure it is very very edited for sure.

My comments:

1- Polish Lady and Ugandan husband –

Felt quite sorry for them really. The husband wants to work but the only work he can get is 0 hours contract. The money doesn’t cover them for rents, which I understand but do the council have a duty to house them? Maybe they do but really having them evicted and taking so long to tell them oh actually we are just going to help you find a place to live and not house you. A total waste of time, and worry for them.

2- Romanian guy with 5 kids –

What was he running from where he needed to move his five kids? He mentioned that he couldn’t get them food to eat in Romania, I feel that he was genuine he wanted to work, but yes heartbreaking to see people on the street like that.

3- Woman who went back to Bermuda –

For her she probably was the person who I felt least sorry for. I wasn’t too sure why she was here in the UK and if she had a family here or not. She did have options, so I don’t know why she expected to be housed. The way she had that racist rant against the duty manager was unacceptable. I mean maybe we didn’t know too much about her so.

Last point I wanted to make here is, if someone pays in a lot to the system should they have more prioritised compared to someone else?

For example god forbid anything happened to myself here but if I was made unemployed and had no money then would they house myself/partner? I mean between the two of us in the last ten years we have paid nearly 500k in tax.

Cas

Castortroy- no i don't think you should get more help if you've paid in more, that would mean that the poorest (minimum wage, shitty hours etc) people wouldn't get help?
Whereas someone paying 50 grand a year in tax will probably be in a better position to sort themselves out- maybe yes they'd need help with temporary accommodation but it would be easier for them to get another decent job and then a private rent.
People on minimum wage are stuck, no one will rent to them as they don't earn enough, not that they could save for a deposit anyway and it's not as easy as just getting a better job,

What was the thinking behind stopping paying landlords HB directly?

it will be even worse under Universal credit as all benefits incl HB is paid to the claimant in one monthly sum, will rent be a priority payment? they will have to budget well

Dame I believe it was in an effort to stop landlords refusing to take on tenants who were on benefits. They figured if the tenant had the money in the bank, then the LL wouldn't know...and you don't have to declare it.

Would the £6000 rent arrears of the Polish /Ugandan couple be written off? Or counted as debt needing to be repaid at some point?

Violet- thanks, so in theory better but maybe not in practise?

Would the £6000 rent arrears of the Polish /Ugandan couple be written off? Or counted as debt needing to be repaid at some point?

If their LL is anything like me, they'd be pursued through the courts and end up with a CCJ, and possibly bailiffs chasing them to seize goods. They may end up agreeing to a repayment plan of something silly like £10 a month.

Honestly , how rude was the housing officer ,Ouchi I think her name was?! To say to the Romanian family 'Really, you bring school transfer papers over and you haven't even got a home?' is beyond rude! And all this ' Aww, why are you crying?' why do you think people are crying, they are homeless?!!

If the housing officers are deemed to be too nice and soft they'll be criticised. If they are deemed too harsh they're criticised. They honestly can't win. I don't think anyone has the right to be rude to another person certain situations require a great deal of frankness and bluntness. I don't blame her. They aren't the first family that officer has seen and they certainly won't be the last. Crying and anger are all par for the course - just a normal day at work in the eyes of the housing officer.
That said I think there is a very fine and delicate balance, I thought Uchi (sp?) was perfectly fine but there was another one who was on last week I think telling a woman she either had to move to Birmingham or basically fuck off - she was awful, not one ounce of compassion.

I'm just not sure what the issue was with the school transfer papers, why was that a big deal?

I didnt understand why that was a big deal either and quite honestly i doubt the romanian couple understood why that was an issue either because there was zero explanation in Uchi's response. She was rude. If she wasnt going to explain why they shouldnt have brought school transfer papers then she shouldnt even have acknowledged them. She was frustrated with this couple that was clear, and yes, understandable. But she shouldnt vent that frustration onto them through sarcasm. They are none the wiser about what their mistake was are they? Why not just explain it to them?

Yes, quite!

This is a very interesting programme, although I agree it's not helping the stereotypes on the lead up to the referendum!

Who's the housing officer who wears the colourful scarves round her hair? I think she is really good.

I think she meant why have they bothered sorting school transfer things out before securing a home first.

It's very strange viewing, the housing officers seem very cold hearted. Agree with others about the one who was sending the young woman to Birmingham. She was so smug and as if she enjoyed delivering the offer. The way she got her excited 'We've got you a house'........'In Birmingham'.

I couldn't warm to the Romanian guy, there was no reason to, but I got the feeling he could be a bastard to his wife and kids. Priest was lovely.

The crocodile tears annoy me.

They all talk quite sensibly to the camera but as soon as they're in the interview room the waterworks get turned on.

I'm not heartless, honest.

But they'd get further if they behaved like adults.

i thought uchi was rude tbh

but I can see how the job would harden you

I'm still catching up.

Bit weird that the couple with the rent arrears rented a four bedroom house for just them and two children.

Why? Did they say?

King- I think it's a mixture of frustration and relief that they've finally got to see someone face to face and the tears come.

Probably.

But it's not productive. And it must wind up the advisors.

I was days off being made homeless with a baby and a toddler and tbh I cried, it wasn't "productive" but it was a natural, human reaction, so don't think anyone can blame them for crying tbh

i am ok now and was lucky enough to be housed in a HA property. i turned my life around and the stability of the house and affordable rent allowed me to start my own business which has been successful. and lucky enough to own my house now...had i been dumped in a private rent like most of these poor fuckers on this programme, i would never have got into the position to sort my life out and buy my own house.

we need more council houses, all over the country

will never happen under this shower of cunts tho

It might not be productive but it's a human reaction to a dreadful situation. I just think a smile and a bit of kindness wouldn't go amiss.