how bad can council emergency housing be?

direstraits2012

It's very likely that me and my family will be in emergency council housing next week.

I'm just trying to arm myself for the reality of this type of accommodation. What were your experiences? Any advice? How bad can it be? How far out of your area were you given accommodation?

Worried but have no choice - it's that or cardboard city

Don't hold back - I need the good, bad and the ugly please!

Fanx

princeofpounds

It will be better than cardboard city. I don't know about families, but often for individuals around here it is a dingy B&B that looks more like an office block. They are normally quite functional and will keep you warm and safe but you don't always get the best quality of fellow guest.

Dontknowanymore

I have been in temproary accomodation a couple of times, both were flats, one was a 1 bed and the other was a 2 bed.
The 2 bed was a private rental and the 1 bed was a housing association, both were in the local area. Both were fine.
Council's will always tell you the only available accom would be miles away but in reality there is usually local, I've never known anyone to have to go right out of the council's area. They say this to put people off.
Some people I know have been to B&B's for 6 weeks, some have been in hostels or refuges for 18 months, it just depends what is on offer at the time.
You might be pleasantly surprised.

What area do you live in? might help get better advice as all council's are different. The last council I applied to houses families on private rentals (or PSL's as they call them) rather than hostels, where possible of course, the system seems to work well.

Koicarp

New years day 1992, missus heavily pregnant. We were housed in emergency by stockport council, in a two bedroom flat- sharing with a family of 3 ("lady" of the house also heavily pregnant) who were in the other bedroom! The flat was in a block, set aside specially for the job, as nobody would live there until abolutely desperate.
It was an experience. Good luck.

BitterAndTwisted

Rather than canvassing opinions or experience from complete strangers on the internet perhaps some help or advice could be provided by explaining the reason/s for your question? You're completely anonymous here so you have nothing to lose and perhaps something or a great deal to gain.

mufi

A quick look at the OP's recent previous posts may prove fruitful...

BitterAndTwisted

I have read the OP's previous posts now, so thanks.

£200,000 in debt, a civil-servant husband earning £28k per annum and no possibility of going bankrupt without losing his job :eek:

"Unenviable" is so far short of the mark it doesn't even qualify as an understatement.

Still, I very much admire the OPs upbeat attitude in the face of such terrible difficulties. Even if she has acknowledged that the position they now find themselves in was self-inflicted.

The upside is that should they find housing of some description, the OP can find employment when they've got housing and the husband doesn't lost his with the forthcoming public-sector job-losses on the horizon they could fight their way out of the debt in a decade or so.

princeofpounds

they could fight their way out of the debt in a decade or so.

I'd go bankrupt rather than face down a decade I think, it would be faster!

BigAunty

There was a documentary on the telly about bad landlords and they featured a couple of hotels being used for temporary council accommodation in Croydon which showed very poor conditions, terrible hygiene and decor and a drunk guest trying to access the property which a resident said was very common.

A friend let their private property to the council to house their homeless tenants on short ASTs. It was in excellent condition before she gave the keys to the council. It was trashed by the tenants.

So emergency accommodation is going to pretty much vary in quality and standards.

But why does a household earning 28k want to go down the council homelessness route?

direstraits2012

Thanks for all your replies. Having spoken to the council today it would seem we have two options. If our in-laws throw us out next week the council will provide us with emergency accommodation but they would rather negotiate with the in-laws to let us stay for a bit longer. We are worried that if they talk our in-laws into letting us stay will we not be provided any accommodation for years. Our situation couldn't get any worse as there are 6 of us in a tiny 2 bed bungalow (us on the sofa in living room and boys on mats in a corner of a packed bedroom). My in-laws aren't being accommodating at all - emergency housing may be preferable! They are in their late 70's and understandably don't want us there.

direstraits2012

Dontknowanymore wrote: »

I have been in temproary accomodation a couple of times, both were flats, one was a 1 bed and the other was a 2 bed.
The 2 bed was a private rental and the 1 bed was a housing association, both were in the local area. Both were fine.
Council's will always tell you the only available accom would be miles away but in reality there is usually local, I've never known anyone to have to go right out of the council's area. They say this to put people off.
Some people I know have been to B&B's for 6 weeks, some have been in hostels or refuges for 18 months, it just depends what is on offer at the time.
You might be pleasantly surprised.

What area do you live in? might help get better advice as all council's are different. The last council I applied to houses families on private rentals (or PSL's as they call them) rather than hostels, where possible of course, the system seems to work well.

We live on the Surrey/Hampshire borders. We have applied to a council in Surrey.