Can someone please help me with my council housing problem?

shezam

Firstly, I know this is not the correct place to post this, but people on this forum have helped me before and I was wandering if someone could help me again.

Its about my living situation, my family chucked me out 5 years ago, since then I have been staying with my partner in his bedsit, he also has his 10 year old daughter to stay 4 nights a week, at present he has to sleep on the sofa and me and his daughter in the bed, then in the mornings we have to take her up to her mothers to get changed before School as there is just no space in the bedsit. We have been on the Council list for a bigger property for 5 years and we are not getting anywhere, the council do not seem to care about us. We both work and are willing to for our property, but at present they are just giving houses to heroin addicts and people who are just out of jail.

Its really getting me down and im beginning to get scared. The council recently moved a female upstairs from us, I think she is a heroin addict, she has people up everynight and last night (we are on the bottom floor) there was people outside the window till about midnight, we had to take my partners daughter home as these people are not safe, throwing stones, shouting, screaming, they threw our plants away, broke the washing poles etc. The thing is we have had problems with thses people before and they are not people to be messed with, they would not think twice about smashing our window and coming to start fights with us. Does anyone know what I can do, we have contacted the council and they say there is really not much they can do, we are 86th on the waiting list but we have been on that list since June 2005.

Sorry this is a long post. Can anyone help?

imho

Sounds a awful situation for you all. Dont the Council work on a points system ? The more points you have the closer you are to the top of the list. See if you can find out how you can get more points. You could go to your Doctors and say your stressed and depressed.I think that puts points up.
I would be so angry if i was you with it in the news about people in £8.000 a month rent paid by the Council.
Good luck.

Foggster

Five years is a long time. Also being so so far down the list it is probably going to be another 5 years before you could even a look in on another property. I think its time for you and your partner to take a long hard look at your situation and do something to change it rather than wait for the Council. Social housing is at a premium and with you both working couldnt you look at renting privately. You have to think of his daughter before yourselves and what is best for her. Even having to take her home to change isnt good let alone having her scared by nutty neighbours who you are both afraid of too (and rightly so).

It may mean you having to sacrifice your location and distance from your work but its about all of you as a family.

Good Luck.

becs

I'm also not sure why if you're both working you wouldn't do something for yourselves and rent privately. If you're both on low incomes which I assume you are then you would still be entitled to housing and council tax benefit even with a private landlord. Your local council will have a set amount that they pay up to for a 2 bedroom property to give you an idea of what you could rent privately.
I have to say I do get really fed up with hearing that it is always someone elses (ie the councils) responsibility to get you out of the situation you're in. You're both adults and should be responsible for yourselves. This country is in the mess it's in because everyone wants everything done for them by someone else and aren't prepared to take responsibility for their own actions and situations.

swagman

You should contact Shelter, the national housing charity. One easy way to do so is to go to your local Citizens Advice Bureau, which will offer free advice on your situation and put you in touch with them. They are in the phone book under Citizens Advice and will have days when open to enquirers.
Alternatively you can contact Shelter direct on freephone 0808 800 4444

Don't hesitate to do this as they are expert at useful advice in situations like yours. They deal with the whole range of problems from poor housing conditions, problems with landlords through to homelessness.