Daughter's 20 year old friend homeless, what help is there?

PugLady_2

Deleted...

Jowo_2

Get her to fill out a homelessness application with the local council asap and contact Shelter. Their website will give her an understanding of the council's obligation to her. Crisis is also a good source of information for the single homeless.

By you offering her accommodation, she will no longer be considered in housing need.

mandi

Hi Sue,

She needs to go to see a housing officer at the local council ASAP. They will provide accommodation , whatever she does, she should NOT mention that she is staying with you albeit temporarily as this will effect the councils decision .

She would also benefit from seeing a Welfare rights officer regarding JSA etc .

lalli_pickle

Why does she need a council house? Does she not have a job?

To rent a room in a house costs around £40-50 a week down south and there's usually a lot advertised in the Friday Ad or local paper.

PugLady_2

Deleted...

lalli_pickle

Well I'm not sure what the situation is where you are, but when I have applied to the council as homeless (several times as I seem to be unlucky in picking landladys who insist on getting divorced and needing their homes back) the standard procedure goes something like this:

Go to council and say your homeless (you have to prove this, I usually did that with a letter from my landlandy but I expect she would need to get something from her parents saying they were no longer willing to have her in the house etc etc).
You also need to fill out the application to register to be put on the social housing register anyone can register for this but obviously if you're homeless or otherwise vulnerable you get a higher priority.
Then it's a case of waiting.

I am on the housing list for 3 areas and have been for near on 8 years and I'm still nowhere near the top of the list so make sure she emphasises why she needs a house as otherwise she will be a low priority.

Also, when I applied recently I was told the procedure for my area is that if you are high priority then you don't necessarily get a home immediately, it goes something like this:
2 months in B&B (this is the maximum as they have to meet targets but sometimes it does go over)
6 months in local caravan park (this counts as temporary accomodation but as you get a kitchen you get longer here than in the B&B)
You then get offers of places which may or may not be suitable. Each time you turn a place down you go to the bottom of the queue and if you turn down 3 then they figure you are no longer priority and you have to fight for a place in with everyone else.

Although once you have a council place it is relatively secure, I honestly think that if she is vulnerable then she would do better taking control of the situation and giving herself that self confidence boost of knowing she is capable of looking after herself rather than relying on other people?

Jowo_2

Sue_Hart wrote: »

Thanks for the replys.

I think she would be better off in a council flat or housing association property as she would have a permanent home. She's quite a vunerable young lady who could do with a bit of security. She also doesn't have any money available for a deposit for renting privately.
She is working but only part time on the minimum wage. I know she is trying to get a full time position though.
I didn't realise I would make her situation worse by putting her up, so thanks for that advice.

You can actually put her up until she finds her feet and secures private accommodation...She's a healthy adult without any dependents whose currently in employment, is she?

Generally social housing goes to the needy and the neediest can have a lot of social problems, generally suffering high rates of crime and low rates of employment - being in social housing may not be the panacea you think. Certainly when I had a brief spell in social housing, I was surrounded by addicts, alcoholics and the mentally ill as neighbours and experienced anti social behaviour and abuse.

A local council only has the obligation to provide accommodation to homeless priority groups, such as those with children, pregnant and so forth. The Shelter website will have information on how they will assess and classify her, and their actual obligations.

Many local councils operate deposit guarantee schemes for those in housing need or low income. See if the local council offer this and the criteria for it.

Perhaps she'd thrive in a house share of people of her own age and background as it could provide a social outlet and be less lonely than being dumped into self-contained accommodation with limited life skills?

Oldernotwiser

Wouldn't it be better for you to lend her the money for a deposit rather than making your whole family's life so difficult? You seem to be vastly overcrowded already.

idvi

maybe its just me here, but i feel like people are ganging up on the op a bit

he/she is being really kind in letting this girl stay - but by no means should have to pay out of his/her own money for a deposit.. :eek: its not even one of their own children!

if she is working part time on min wage she clearly needs quick help. just because shes 20 and healthy doesnt mean that she shouldnt be seen fairly quickly.. if she has no money and nowhere to go (how can the op reasonably be expected to put her up for any longer than absolutely possible)

she has been kicked out by her own parents - so whatever the story there is, something isnt write to be kicked out in the first place, especially if the parents are just being horrid.. how sad

it should be no excuse for the council to shirk their responsibilities based on the fact she is healthy and can sofa-surf with the op for a little while

i hope she gets on the council list, and i hope it gets sorted out quickly op.

when my friend was made homeless by his parents at 18 (great isnt it!?:mad:) there was talk of various options (ymca/hostel, b&b, distant family, supported living etc)

im sure it must be an emotional and distressing time for her and for you op.. my sympathies! good luck

Oldernotwiser

idvi wrote: »

maybe its just me here, but i feel like people are ganging up on the op a bit

he/she is being really kind in letting this girl stay - but by no means should have to pay out of his/her own money for a deposit.. :eek: its not even one of their own children!
)

I certainly didn't intend to "gang up" on the OP.

Personally, I would think it far easier (which is why I suggested it) to lend this young woman a hundred pounds or so for a deposit rather than trying to shoehorn another person into a 3 bedroom property which already houses 6 adults!

ash4becks

been here with a good friend of mine, i did put her up on the sofa, does she have any health condtions if you no about,

basicly we did the whole homeless applacation but they had none of it 1st time around if i were you nag nag nag is the only way with the coucnil well mine anyways , she needs to fill in housing app asap declaring that she is at a care of adress ie yours, you will have to fight for this the homeless dept were useless i tryed to get priorty when i was living with a ex after near stabbing my mam and stated mental health issues they couldnt have cared less, housing depart were great thou and she had a place within 3 weeks as she got band1 still had to chase them

oh and if you can go with her say that as you are overcrowed its making life harder for yourslef and is alredy geting all to much and that she can only stay very short term, so again risk of homelessness is higher

i was on housing benift and would have been braking the rules with having her stay long think that did help thou but if you recive this aswell mention this to

good luck it is a minefield i would look up online the councils homless policy shelters website etc x