Being Issued Notice To Quit

Hump

If you take on a private tenancy before they make their decision then they will issue a 'not homeless' decision. If they make a positive decision (aka 'accepting a main homelessness duty') then they cannot cease their duty to house you into a private tenancy without your consent. Some Councils have arrangements with private landlords to provide homeless families with accommodation - but DO NOT accept the tenancy as a qualifying offer - only as ongoing 'temp' under s193 (2) - unless you want to spend the rest of your life in crappy private rented. Hold out for a nomination to a Registered Provider (Housing Association) or a direct offer of Council accommodation (if they still have stock and haven't sold it off) - long term the lower rental will give you greater financial viability if you return to work (sorry - assuming you're temporarily out of work at present with having to move etc)

PrincessPlaty

Hump wrote: »

If you take on a private tenancy before they make their decision then they will issue a 'not homeless' decision. If they make a positive decision (aka 'accepting a main homelessness duty') then they cannot cease their duty to house you into a private tenancy without your consent. Some Councils have arrangements with private landlords to provide homeless families with accommodation - but DO NOT accept the tenancy as a qualifying offer - only as ongoing 'temp' under s193 (2) - unless you want to spend the rest of your life in crappy private rented. Hold out for a nomination to a Registered Provider (Housing Association) or a direct offer of Council accommodation (if they still have stock and haven't sold it off) - long term the lower rental will give you greater financial viability if you return to work (sorry - assuming you're temporarily out of work at present with having to move etc)

Thank you, your advice has been fantastic!
Council have sold off all their housing stock to housing associations, I am registered with all 4 and in band 1 with all of them also. Though I would be issued with more points with 1 with the homeless decision, with the others it makes no difference though. Unfourtunatly they don't have CBL here Just feels like you are sitting back not knowing anything iykwim at least with CBL you can actually put yourself forward to be considered and know something is being done

Hump

Just a footnote - the advice given is good for England, largely fine for Wales but would be off for Scotland or NI - noswaith dda!

PrincessPlaty

Hump wrote: »

Just a footnote - the advice given is good for England, largely fine for Wales but would be off for Scotland or NI - noswaith dda!

diolch

silvercar

PrincessPlaty wrote: »

I think they are pretty sick of me complaining about the state of the place and the incidents that are happening here also. Which in all fairness im sick of complaining too, but what more can I do when my children all aged 5 and under are listening to other women saying they are going to take an overdose? Being scared to leave the room incase they get attacked again? Waking up having nightmares every night? I feel bad complaining all the time and have even had one of the workers refuse point blank to work with me because I apparently have an answer for everything when i said i wasn't happy that my 5 year old daughter was scared to leave the room and they weren't willing to try and do anything about it despite the fact that another woman that was here was an alcoholic and her behaviour was odd at the best of times!

Just like you people are in a refuge because of difficulties that they have had to face in their recent past. There will be scary people and scared people and alcoholics and people with odd behaviour. That's the nature of a refuge.

Maybe looking for a private rental is the next step, if the council are failing to provide and you are unhappy with the dire situation in the refuge. Does the council have a list of landlords? Could your refuge or support worker provide a letter that you have changed name due to DV and so have no credit record. Incidentally nil credit record with an explanation of name change and knowing you will be in receipt of LHA would be a reasonable prospect for some landlords.

(When you get to the end of the mumoftwins thread you will see that she eventually found a decent private landlord.)

PrincessPlaty

silvercar wrote: »

Just like you people are in a refuge because of difficulties that they have had to face in their recent past. There will be scary people and scared people and alcoholics and people with odd behaviour. That's the nature of a refuge.

Maybe looking for a private rental is the next step, if the council are failing to provide and you are unhappy with the dire situation in the refuge. Does the council have a list of landlords? Could your refuge or support worker provide a letter that you have changed name due to DV and so have no credit record. Incidentally nil credit record with an explanation of name change and knowing you will be in receipt of LHA would be a reasonable prospect for some landlords.

(When you get to the end of the mumoftwins thread you will see that she eventually found a decent private landlord.)

I approached all the local letting agents before xmas and explained the situation with the name change and not one said that they would accept it The councils list is full of letting agents and no private landlords, I have scoured the internet put up wanteds on gumtree and such like and hit a brick wall