where do i stand??

loopylisa

hi just wondering if anybody knows where i stand on getting a council house. im wanting to leave my partner of 6 years and get my own place. hes got our home in him name on the mortgage and bills but i have my name on a mortgage with my dad , him and his partner lives in that house. theres no room for me and my two children . i cant afford to live in private accomadation or have another mortgage because i only work p t and cant afford child care to work f t!!any help and advice is needed:sad: sorry if its a bit cofusing
thanks loopylisa

black-saturn

I'm afraid the council will see it that you left a perfectly good home therefore making yourself intentionally homeless and they wont do anything to help you get rehoused.

Your best bet would be to get your boyfriend to write you a letter saying he wants you out in 1 months time. Then the council will house you in temporary accomodation until something becomes available for you. You could be in for a long wait though.

On the other hand if you are leaving because you are being abused there are other avenues to take????

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Lisa, sorry to hear things aren't working out. I'm not sure how you will be assessed by the council as you own a house with your dad, even though you haven't been living in it. Your local CAB might be able to help you find out exactly what the position will be, and also Shelter will be able to offer help and advice. Good luck.

singlehouseholder

Why not try Housing Associations or private landlords,if you work p/t you will be eligible for housing benefit/council tax benefit. In many areas the cost for renting is much the same, what you pay for a council property you can pay for privately rented accomodation. Have a look about, if your really desperate to get out this may be your only option.As for temp council accom, wouldnt chance it, you could end up in a grotty hostel with all kinds of people, whether you have kids or not!! Council houses/flats are virtually impossible to get hold of these days unless you fit into a certain criteria. My poor brother has been on the list for 6 years now, he lives with my parents and wanting his own place doesn't seem to be sufficient to qualify him for a place. Mind you having his washing/cleaning/cooking/ironing done for £30 a week suits him!!! He'll be there till he's 50!!
Good luck, hope you find something decent you can afford.

Alleycat

Hi,

Sorry to hear that you are having to split from your husband. Depending on the reason/s for the split the Homeless Advice Team may/may not be able to help you with priority for rehousing. If there is any physical or verbal abuse from your husband then there will be an issue of priority. If it is just a straightforward relationship breakdown then there would probably not be any priority as you could legitimately live in the house (albeit uncomfortably) until you found suitable alternative accommodation.

The main problem is going to be the mortgage on your dad's place as you would (I assume) have equity in that property which could if released enable you to buy/privately rent your own place without the need for priority for rehousing.

At the end of the day, you may just have to apply to the council and wait your turn which could take a while depending on where you live.

kabie

A relationship breakup does give priority in this area.
I know someone who was offered a house in a relatively short time because she had a new boyfriend and her husband wouldn't move out. There wasn't abuse in this case. So it'd be worth a go. There would have to be accomodation available though for them to offer you it, and there's not much left.
We've been on the list for 6 years, live in unsutiable accomodation and don't expect anything to happen anytime soon.

Alleycat

It is difficult to give a definitive answer as the previous post has shown. They key phrase in assessing someones homelessness is, is it reasonable to remain. This can be quite subjective and will depend on so many specifics. In this instance, if I was the one making the decision and if there were no issues of violence or harassment, I would probably make a not homeless decision. There may be underlying factors that could alter this decision though.

loopylisa

hi and thanks for all the replys. there has been violence in the past the last time it happened was just before christmas (well the last time ands only time i reported it!!)
this situation is so hard and confusing!! thanks again

kabie

If there's been voilence then your position should be stronger. I suggest trying to get a meeting with a housing officer rather than just filling out the forms, that way you can give them the more detailed info.