Council house

Alleycat

rammy007 wrote:

14,11,5,4 (the girl is 5)

They're probably stuck with a three bed, I'm afraid. The 14 and 11 year old boys can share one bedroom and the 5 year old girl and 4 year old boy can also share one bedroom, with parents in the third bedroom. If there is a lack of space and the parents are in the master bedroom, they can take one of the smaller rooms and the children can have a bigger bedroom.

Also, in case this effects anyone, a dining room can be used as an extra bedroom and a bedroom has to have at least one window, so a box room with no window could not be classed as a bedroom, but with a window, even a small (is it dormer?) window could.

Alleycat

Baby A, although your friend may feel that the relationship has broken down beyond reconciliation, as there are no dangers faced by continuing to share a house, they would be expected to live in the same property until they could find alternative accommodation, so no priority would be awarded as there is no urgency for any of the parties to move out. Shelter is correct, as if she gave up her home voluntarily she would be making herself homeless and the council would have no duty to provide alternative accommodation.

Savvy_Sue

It would be worth her making sure she is registered for housing with all the local Housing Associations as well as with the council. Sometimes it's a shared list, but sometimes it works differently.

Baby_A

Alleycat wrote:

Baby A, although your friend may feel that the relationship has broken down beyond reconciliation, as there are no dangers faced by continuing to share a house, they would be expected to live in the same property until they could find alternative accommodation, so no priority would be awarded as there is no urgency for any of the parties to move out. Shelter is correct, as if she gave up her home voluntarily she would be making herself homeless and the council would have no duty to provide alternative accommodation.

That seems so unfair, obviously her husband wont move out. She left work when she had her toddler so has no money of her own to be able to afford to move out.

Unless she was being beaten up then she wont get any help. Makes you think how many people have used that as a reason to get a property now.

Shes going to end up in depression if she carries on living with him being so unhappy. Espicially as there isnt a way out for her.

Even if she moved in with a friend, shed be making herself homeless.

I dont know what to advise her. All she can do is apply for a council house and as shes been told could take upto 4 years!:mad:

Baby_A

Spendless wrote:

Has she sought legal advice over this? My friends hubby was initially adamant he wouldn't leave the family home but did eventually. I've no idea where the law stands on this but worth looking into.

To be honest I think she just wants to set free with the least amount of hassle. Living with someone demanding them to leave with 2 kids (nearly) doesnt create a nice atmosphere for anyone.

She doesnt have any problems with him seeing the kids, as hes a devoted father so wasnt planning on moving to far out.

black-saturn

Baby_A wrote:

That seems so unfair, obviously her husband wont move out. She left work when she had her toddler so has no money of her own to be able to afford to move out.

Unless she was being beaten up then she wont get any help. Makes you think how many people have used that as a reason to get a property now.

Shes going to end up in depression if she carries on living with him being so unhappy. Espicially as there isnt a way out for her.

Even if she moved in with a friend, shed be making herself homeless.

I dont know what to advise her. All she can do is apply for a council house and as shes been told could take upto 4 years!:mad:

It might come to the point then that she has to leave in secret and get a place of her own. I did it with 2 young children in 2001 and now I have my own house (not council).

black-saturn

Alleycat wrote:

contacting hte domestic violence officer with the police, look at taking out injunctions against the offender

Anyone who has been a victim of domestic violence including me and the police officers I work with know this doesnt work. It's less than useless. They break all these injunctions and getting them only makes them more angry.

Baby_A

black-saturn wrote:

It might come to the point then that she has to leave in secret and get a place of her own. I did it with 2 young children in 2001 and now I have my own house (not council).

How did you manage to get your own place? Did you have some money to be able to afford it initially?

black-saturn

I was working then and paid the mortgage off quite quickly.

tanith

I have yet to fathom out how Local Authorities allocate council housing ,, my daughter was in a one bedroom flat with 2 children a girl and boy , when she became pregnant with 3rd child they moved her to a 2 bedroom maisonette where she now has a girl of 12 a boy of 8 sharing (she has temporarily divided the room with wardrobes) so they at least have a little privacy and she her partner and 11mth old baby share the other room... council say she is not overcrowded.... how can this be good for the children.... but at least she has a tiny outside space that the children make good use of...

The oldest child is too embarrassed to bring her pals home because she has to share with her brother.......