Problems with council housing application!!

lighting_up_the_chalice

suziqqq wrote: »

The problem here is that it is YOUR OWN HOUSE councils don't care if you have 100 people in a room they only class it overcrowding if its a council house.

The only thing you can do is evict them and then the council may offer them temp accommodation which could be anywhere

Tenure makes no difference. Overcrowding is a simple mathematical calculation based on the number of rooms and the people in the household. Tenure isn't a factor.

Kim_kim

seasideme wrote: »

Yes I know that, I've just moved from there, just the same as Croydon being in Surrey but comes under Greater London.

It's more the fact someone calling Lewisham Kent, it gets confusing as some area's under Lewisham have Bromley postcodes.

Croydon is London - check the Surrey county council map.
Lewisham & Bromley are London - check the Kent county council map.

Mrs_pbradley936

I think I would see what was available as a private rental. If you would be a guarantor and/or provide a deposit that would help.


All depends on how keen you are to see them rehoused really.

retepetsir

Has your son got a job? Could they get a private rental and then use benefits to help pay for some of the cost?

scotty01

mrsiwannabefree wrote: »

The house belongs to my husband, we moved in with him when we married, the "spare" bedroom is out of bounds for my son & his family as it belongs to his daughter....his house his rules!

I can understand this however the council won't

The only option available is a private rental. You've not said if your son works?

Mokka

It sounds like Lewisham is messing you about.

If they were asking for all these documents to prove your son's residency, they've most likely breached the Data Protection Act.

Lewisham has to stick to their own Allocations Policy. Also to the Housing Act. It is unlikely they would be able to refuse to put someone on the housing register. You cannot refuse to put someone on the housing register, because they are not overcrowded! They might have lower priority, that's all.

The best thing would be for your son to get a lawyer. If he can get Legal Aid it would be really helpful.

Also start formal complaints procedure (details on their website) and, after you've gone through all the stages, take things to the Ombudsman as well.

Sadly the best thing for you would be to evict them (you would need to go to court), but there is no guarantee they would be offered council housing- the council could house them in private (expensive and inferior) accommodation, so maybe this is not even worth the hassle.

I think you have a very good case for complaint and maybe for taking Lewisham to court.

I only got housing after winning my case with the Local Government Ombudsman- if I didn't take my council to the LGO I would be still homeless!

SnooksNJ

scotty01 wrote: »

I can understand this however the council won't

The only option available is a private rental. You've not said if your son works?

A non answer is usually an answer.

BigAunty

Mokka wrote: »

It is unlikely they would be able to refuse to put someone on the housing register. You cannot refuse to put someone on the housing register, because they are not overcrowded! They might have lower priority, that's all.

Perhaps its the changes under the Localism Act that means councils don't have to accept applications from non-priority applicants? Just a guess but I've come across other instances where the lists aren't so open.

In the past, virtually anyone over the age of 18 with a right to live in the UK could put their names down for social housing which is probably one reason why there are millions on the lists, many who will never be offered a property. What is the point of having an open list when the actual allocation is based on need anyway?

Lewisham are actually sticking to their published policies with their decision and I believe that housing law is on their side. I don't believe that any of the appeal procedures that you've outlined will have any effect.

Even if the OPs son gets accepted, he stands virtually no chance of getting a council house anyway -

"Unfortunately, this does not mean you will be offered a home, as we have very little housing available....There are many more people registered on our housing list than properties available. This means that most people on the housing list face no prospect of being housed by Lewisham Council....or many people it may be better to look at other options such as renting privately or affordable home ownership."

Their allocations summary makes clear that only those short of 2 bedrooms get a high priority classification for overcrowding. It is there that they refer to people only being included on the register that fulfill the categories of local and reasonable preferences.

http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/housing/find/social/Documents/AllocationsPolicySummary.pdf


Also, good info here that all non priority cases are disqualified from joining the list due to it being a waste of resources and giving false hope to people who stand no chance of getting housing. See 2.2.5

http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/housing/find/social/Documents/Lewisham%20Housing%20Allocations%20Scheme.pdf