Housing situation is wearing me down

davefrombristol

I was in virtually the same boat as you are back in 2006. Landlord wanted to revamp the house as the property was in a run down state through nothing being done for 20 odd years, he naturally wanted to increase the rent from i think £500 up to £680 a month. Even at £500 I was having to make up a shortfall of about £120 a month. I was and still am a single parent with a child classed as disabled.

What I did was the same as you - went to shelter / housing benefit / schoo / local area housing - where I was already on the waiting list for about 5 years / went to doctor / went to local MPs office.

The bottom line is this - unless you can get other rented accommodation in your local area and being on housing benefit won't help one bit, your only solution is to lean on the local cuncil's area housing department.

How it work's is that they will only house you in temporary accomodation if you meet the criteria of being homeless. Unfortunately to be classed as homeless you have to have a court order instigated by your landlord - so this means defying your landlord's attempts to remove you from the property and suffering more financial hardship as the court costs will arrive on your doorstep.

I was a bit lucky as the local housing provided temporary accommodation at the 11th hour but I am sure that the letters that they received from my doctor, and local MP forced them to act. I wouldn't waste any time as this is what you need - pressure on the council to consider your situation. Also a must is to get a letter from the head of the school and really play on the detrimental effect that this will have on the education of your child. If they do move you a fair distance away from the present school - force them to pay for the transport every day.

Hope it all works out ok for you as I know how stressful it can be !

davefrombristol

Just to add I was in temporary accomodation for about a year - one of the most difficult years of my life ! but eventually you will be offered suitable accommodation and it won't be £600/700 a month like rented property - and with no worries about 6 month tenancies and landlords threatening to evict.

Even though everyone will say shelter is your saviour - I found them pretty useless and in fact their advice and guidance can be simply grabbed off dozens of websites online. The only support they may be able to give is if you have county court appearance and they attend to help put your case.

You only become a priority case if the council receive a court order re eviction - notice to quit from landlord won't necessarily force them to act. You need to be interviewed by the council's homeless team and produce letter after letter from school /MP / Doctor etc.

Tinkywinks108

LL30, I'm glad things worked out for you in the end, but really I can't believe what you had to go through, in the condition you were in. It just puts me off to be honest. I would be prepared to go through all that if I was on my own, but can not bear the thought of moving into a property with no proper flooring, fridge or basic essentials (and this happens a lot) with my son. Maybe I do sound negative, but having suffered with mental health problems, it is a priority for me to make sure that I remain in good health. There is only so much I can cope with, and I have to prepared for the worse, I might be housed in another area, making it difficult to keep my son at his school, I may have to give up my studies, away from my my support network of friends etc.

Yes, the more I think about it, the more going for LHA seems the better option. I will still have a substantial shortfall, but feel it could be manageable. I have no idea how I am going to pay the weeks rent though.

davefrombristol - I have spoken with the head about this and written a letter which she said she would pass on to a member of the board of governors, who is also a local councillor. I did think about going to the doctor as well, do I just explain my situation and my worries re my pass mental health issues and ask her to write a letter of support? And who would she address it to? Thank you, some good advice, helpful to hear of other people that have been in similiar situations.

Mikazaru

If your deposit is in a scheme it should be easier to get it back, minus fair deductions, as you can dispute any amounts deducted such as the wall.

davefrombristol

I managed to get really helpful letters from Doctor & School. I would list all your concerns with your doctor as his/her letter will be essential for supporting your need for housing.

It is worth knowing that the temporary accomodation is not as bad as you might think ( No B & B for me ) All the residents there were classed as homeless and many were waiting a lot longer than me. Further letters from Doctor / MP after I had been there for a year resulted in me being offered a 2 bed flat at £70 odd quid a week. I am sure that the Doctor's letters may have forced them to act sooner - even though the council's rules are that they need a court order re eviction to house you, any medical conditions / concerns put you in a much stronger position.

LL30

Sharada wrote: »

LL30, I'm glad things worked out for you in the end, but really I can't believe what you had to go through, in the condition you were in. It just puts me off to be honest. I would be prepared to go through all that if I was on my own, but can not bear the thought of moving into a property with no proper flooring, fridge or basic essentials (and this happens a lot) with my son. Maybe I do sound negative, but having suffered with mental health problems, it is a priority for me to make sure that I remain in good health. There is only so much I can cope with, and I have to prepared for the worse, I might be housed in another area, making it difficult to keep my son at his school, I may have to give up my studies, away from my my support network of friends etc.

Yes, the more I think about it, the more going for LHA seems the better option. I will still have a substantial shortfall, but feel it could be manageable. I have no idea how I am going to pay the weeks rent though.

davefrombristol - I have spoken with the head about this and written a letter which she said she would pass on to a member of the board of governors, who is also a local councillor. I did think about going to the doctor as well, do I just explain my situation and my worries re my pass mental health issues and ask her to write a letter of support? And who would she address it to? Thank you, some good advice, helpful to hear of other people that have been in similiar situations.

I'm not going to lie, it has been rough and I've had another blow as I've just been made redundant but I will get through it and we will be fine You have to weigh up the pros and cons. I now have a stable tenancy and live in a beautiful location they call it millionaires village - !!!!!! a HA is doing here, I don't know! Unfortunately, the rent isn't cheap but that's a location issue. I hope in the future that I can transfer and get a house which would be around £30 p/wk cheaper, but that of course means sacrificing the stunning scenery! Although technically at the moment I don't have to worry about rent It's about seeing the long term bigger picture - can you cope for a little while in order to get the best result in the long term?

I used to be a mental health worker (until I was made redundant) so I can understand your concerns. Have you got a support worker/CPN to help you manage your anxieties surrounding this? You'll be surprised at how resilient you can be when you have to. I managed with a prem baby in NICU, emergency c section, nearly dying etc The no fridge thing was a killer mind! It was an awful time but when I see how far we've come, I feel very proud indeed! Good luck x