Temporary council accommodation

Aarons_mummy

EastMidsGal wrote: »

Aaron's Mummy, what would you do if you had to go through it again? Go into temp council accommodation or go into a private rental with an unreliable, uncaring landlord?

I think if I had a choice I would go through it again, my son is young enough (only just turned 2 and a half) to probably not remember it and I was able to get myself a gorgeous little private rent. It also taught me a big life lesson and how lucky we are to have a country with a system in place that won't see you on the streets. Especially if the landlord is unreliable and uncaring and it's not great, I would much prefer the noisy neighbours than a dirty horrid place I didn't like when I had the vision to getting somewhere much better with some hard saving. It's entirely down to your choice though the place you could be placed by the council could be much better than where I was as the above poster says

twinkle1981 wrote: »

The problem with being on the homeless list though is that once they find a permanent tenancy for you, you cant turn it down so its pot luck what you end up with. They also don't allow you to specify areas that you do not want as you can if you put a regular council housing application in.

It's done through a bidding system now though, they don't offer you somewhere you have to place a bid weekly on accomodation that would suit your needs and it goes to the person who has the highest points.

You also have to place bids with local housing associations which you can get a high priority if you send them your letter from the council detailing high priority.

hermum

It really depends on the accommodation that your council has available, my LA had private sector lettings as temporary accommodation, these were houses or flats rented from private landlords, unfurnished other than floor coverings, curtains & light shades. Some would have white goods if they were integrated. All clean & very well maintained.
We also had a hostel, that was a purpose built unit, each family had a kitchen/lounge, shower room, and a bedroom. All this was self contained so no sharing other than the main front door & laundry room. There was a lovely play area outside for the children. The manager lived onsite so if there were ever any problems they were dealt with.
I can't of course answer for your council but I wouldn't have minded being housed in any of those places.
Speak to your Housing Adviser. You really need to be speaking to them about the place that they sent you to view as they may say that you had no good reason for turning it down if it had been offered to you.

lucy_w86

I had a 4 week old son and was put into a hotel for a night and then a hostel with a shared bathroom. I have been there 6 months and moved out into private accommodation as the average waiting time in my area is 18-24 months!!!:eek::eek::eek:

ekkygirl

In my experience the homeless accommodaion is not good but you can make it a home for the short time you will be there. I have had one of my client in a block of newish flats which was ok and another one in a rundown part of town strewn with litter and broken windows. As it is for emergencies the council wont want you there for long and will quickly move you on.

viktory

Sounds like things have moved on since my experience. I stayed in a single room in a shared house, shared kitchen and bathroom for a month. The into a hostel type place, I had two rooms but again shared the kitchen and bathroom with another family. I had to move from there as the abusive husband of the other tenant moved in. Stayed in the same place, just a different room. Finally, after 18 MONTHS I was moved into a two bed flat - on the 17th floor of a tower block in one of the worst areas in the borough miles from my family. I am going back 23 years. You lot have it easy these days!

EastMidsGal

You really need to be speaking to them about the place that they sent you to view as they may say that you had no good reason for turning it down if it had been offered to you.

Thanks. I was worried about that too so I spoke to a solicitor that deals with housing who said it isn't like offers of council accommodation. It's a private rent through the rent deposit scheme to help me avoid becoming homeless, however if I am under no obligation to rent anything I see so it wouldn't affect my claim of homelessness. If I don't take the run down private let then it won't affect me being housed by the council

the average waiting time in my area is 18-24 months!!!

It is at least that in this area! This is why I am wondering if I should just take the private rent I saw, even if the landlady is unreliable, as long as I check everything very carefully before I move in I should minimise the risk. But then if the temp accommodation is habitable then I will go for that, but I won't know until I move into it

As it is for emergencies the council wont want you there for long and will quickly move you on.

I was told by the housing officer that they don't have any temporary council stock so we would be put into a B&B and if any temp accommodation did come up then there is already a waiting list of people in B&Bs waiting for temp accommodation.

However the housing solicitor told me that as I would be just about to have a baby, or just had a baby, they wouldn't put us in a B&B but straight into temp accommodation

Another thing I need to think about is I can move into the private rent in early April before my baby is due and so be settled, but if we don't take it and have to go down the temp accommodation route then the council may make us stay until the landlord evicts us through the courts which means I will be giving birth with a court case hanging over my head and then have to move house with a small baby, as if the first few months aren't going to be tiring and stressful enough, which I want to minimise as I am classed as high risk for post natal depression, so want things to be as calm and as settled as possible

So do I take the private rent and hope the landlady either gets her act together and cleans the place up and that everything is fine and I never need to contact her for anything, or do I follow everyone's advice and avoid the place like a plague and wait to go into temp accommodation?

viktory

EastMidsGal wrote: »

So do I take the private rent and hope the landlady either gets her act together and cleans the place up and that everything is fine and I never need to contact her for anything, or do I follow everyone's advice and avoid the place like a plague and wait to go into temp accommodation?

Moving with a small baby is not the end of the world. You're hardly likely to be carrying your wordly goods on your back! The court case is irrelevant to be honest, you've done nothing wrong and it is simply the steps the landlord needs to take to get his property back.

Really, it depends on whether you are prepared to play the long game. By going down the temporary and BB accommodation route you are more likely to get a council home, which means security for years. Take the private rental and kiss the council property goodbye forever.

I know what I would do.

Wee_Willy_Harris

Temporary accommodation COULD mean a short stay in B+B. Whilst you are correct in that it is hardly suitable for a mother with a new-born child, if that's all they have available, then that's all they can offer.

From there (if B+B is used) you will be moved into self contained accommodation. This could be a flat or a house, could be part of a hostel, could be private landlord stock or a social housing unit used specifically for temp. Every local authority has there own way of dealing with the duty to provide temp. Best bet would be to ask your homeless officer what they usually use.

So, what next? You have your homeless priority which the LA will want to discharge promptly. If still using the points based system, they will grant you "reasonable preference" and make an offer in the usual way. If using the bidding system (CBL) they will give you a high (usually the highest) banding and expect you to bid.

In BOTH cases, they will have a "one offer" policy, ie they will make only one offer of accommodation to discharge their duty to house, regardless of your acceptance or refusal. You can, of course, appeal any offer.

In BOTH cases, that offer may not be confined to any particular area within the LA.

With CBL, they may bid for properties on your behalf.

As they will wish to discharge the duty quickly, bids placed/offers made may well be low demand properties in low demand areas.

They may also offer you a private rented tenancy (Qualifying offer) but refusal of this would not effect the duty to house.

Edit to add: The current government are looking at ammending the legislation so that an offer of a private rent is treated the same way as an offer of social housing. Be aware.

klndesigns

If it is any concellation i am in the very same boat. Im due a baby 28th may but will be having her between 34-38 weeks. any way my landord has not been paying their mortgage and so the lenders are seeking possession of the property i am in at the moment.Ive been to my local council who are willing to help the same as you by either putting me into temporary accomodation or finding a private rent property.The home im in now will berepossesed through the court by the end of may when mybaby is due so i can either wait til then to be housed by my council or in the mean time find a private rental myself.Weighing up the pro's and con's of this situation is that ive already been in temp housing with the council before about 18 years ago just after my son was born so having to go through it again would not bother me at all just so i can get back into a council place but because of the timing and the fact my baby is going ot be born early(medical reasons) finding my own place may just be the only option i have unless i stay put and have my baby then move afterwards. I can think of worse things to go through after having a baby than moving home. At the moment all ive got to do is wait until after 19th april when the court date for repossession is taking place to find out when the date of my eviction will be and then i will go from there.

I totally understand what the original poster is going through and it is so stressfull, i cant wait until it is all over with and then i can get on with being a new mum. x

zoesmummy_2006

I will also be going through this shortly, am in private rent after my ex left. Have a 4 and 2 year old, was on council band B as overcrowded when living with my parents as me and my daughter were sharing a single bed with my son in cot next to us, we were in box room. It made me ill, stress and lack of sleep, and added extra pressure on my parents, my mums currently in hospital and theres no way we can go back there again, its not an option for my parents.
The house we rented privately went onto the market today, guy has just been and put for sale sign up
I know from talking to the landlord when they told me they wanted to put the house on the market that they would rather i moved out asap so will be getting my 2 months notice from them shortly i imagine.

Im going to see the council again on friday morning when im in their town to see what my options are. I know there are a few propwrties coming available soon in my area, in fact theres an empty house 2 doors from my parents right now! The lady who previously lived in it left it in such a state its taking forever to clear, we're talking rubbish tip in long grass at top of garden, all hidden behind a fence, and then red GLOSS walls in the living room with a black ceiling! She was a bit eccentric lol.

Im trying not to think about it too much right now as it stresses me out cos my 2 have
had so much upheavel in their short lives already thanks to daddy. But what will be will be. And i got thru 'him' leaving, i can cope with this little hiccup! Will just really miss this house, all 3 of us love it!