Impending Homelessness

millstonehouse

Just reposted this from the bankruptcy forum as I may have put it there in error

We're soon to receive a section 21 evicting us from our rented accommodation. We've had a lot of difficulty in trying to get a new place to live as our credit reference gets us knocked back, plus we do not have a guarantor and the agencies that have been helpful have wanted six month rent upfront (one wanted three years).

I've spoken at length to Shelter. CAB and the Housing Authority and only once when we get the section 21 can help be given by the local council. I've looked for private Landlords as advice I've been given says they are less likely to want a credit reference, but in my part of London, no one seems to be advertising in the local papers, another piece of advice I was given was look for "DSS welcome" lets, again I'm having difficulty finding them.

The landlord wants to sell the house and wants rid of sitting tenants for an easier sale. I'm hoping that the Housing Authority will be nice to us as my wife is in two years remission from stage 3c cancer and my eldest daughter is under the care of Great Ormond St for her physical disability.

My question is, how have people coped in this situation? what is the reality of this kind of situation? Shelter introduced me to the concept of Street homeless families, which frankly terrified me and I've squirreled away a little bit of cash for a B&B if something that bad happens.

I guess I'm looking for some advice in case I've missed anything or I could be doing something different

BigAunty

Yes, my understanding of the legal definition of homelessness is that it is about having no security of tenure past the next 28 days and therefore local council homelessness departments will not act (but may give advice) until an S21 is issued.

The Shelter website does have a housing rights wizard and an excellent section on how a local council will process a homelessness application, who is classed as a priority so they must help versus those they have no statutory obligation to provide housing to.

So you shouldn't be simply 'hoping that the Housing Authority will be nice' to you but should be in a position to know if you stand a good chance of them being legally required to assist you.

Sorry, please could you clarify the concept of 'street homeless families'?

Are Shelter alleging that entire families are rough sleeping outside? I believed that local councils had an obligation to provide at least interim accommodation to those with dependents or members of the household who are vulnerable to homelessness due to disabilities who had submitted an application.

Single street homeless is a real phenomenom because local councils have limited oblligations to them but street homeless families is a new concept to me.

princeofpounds

Sorry, please could you clarify the concept of 'street homeless families'?

I should imagine they are referring to families who actually end up on the street.

The reality is that the council will probably be able to find you a not-especially attractive private let once you get the the S21. Good enough for 6 months. Given the illnesses, you might even be a contender for social housing if you apply, depending on how much you play it up and where you live.

BigAunty

princeofpounds wrote: »

I should imagine they are referring to families who actually end up on the street.

.

That's my assumption too, but as statutory housing law obliges local councils to assist those with dependents (as long as they haven't made themselves intentionally homeless and they belong to EU countries), I can't understand why there would be families kipping in shop doorways.

princeofpounds wrote: »

The reality is that the council will probably be able to find you a not-especially attractive private let once you get the the S21. Good enough for 6 months. Given the illnesses, you might even be a contender for social housing if you apply, depending on how much you play it up and where you live.

I believe that councils in Englandwho have the obligation to provide housing to the homeless can discharge their statutory duties with either social housing or a suitable 1 year tenancy in the private sector.

princeofpounds

I can't understand why there would be families kipping in shop doorways.

There are probably very few, but I wouldn't be surprised if it happens very occasionally for very brief periods as people fall through administrative cracks (not so much the fault of the council, but not availing themselves of all the help they can access because they don't know where to go).

And I suspect most either end up sleeping in a car or a church shelter for a night or similar.

PasturesNew

Families who are booted out are met in the street by a Council representative to take them to emergency accommodation. But, to get that 'service' you need to keep them close in the loop of what's happening to you. So they'd need the date when you were expecting to be evicted by the bailiffs.

Are there any relevant charities associated with your daughter's condition, or cancer charities, that assist people with these problems to find suitable accommodation. e.g. most charities are small/local and there might be one that works with a bunch of private landlords who place people with disabilities into homes they own that never need to be advertised on the open market.

The system does suck when you're paying your rent and the LL decides on a whim to sell up and it's your life they're trashing ... happens far too often.

BigAunty

Now you come to mention it, I do recall one news article from a family claiming to live in their car while the council claimed they didn't qualify for a council property.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2392898/Homeless-family-sleeping-car-YEAR-t-council-house.html

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/10609454.VIDEO__Sidcup_family_forced_to_sleep_in_car_because_they_can___t_get_a_council_house/?ref=mr

Other car sleepers here

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/10621678.print/

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/desperate-homeless-family-live-in-their-car-1-5793455

princeofpounds

It's quite interesting reading between the lines of those cases.

To me, the most interesting one was where the council clearly doesn't believe that two of the family are actually homeless. They appear to have joined the housing application but not actually been resident as part of the household beforehand.

Probably not an uncommon scam to get a bigger council house with more rooms allocated. Clever (because the rooms and the implied hand-out don't get taken away as people vacate).

(Not saying this is what they are doing, but the council certainly thought they were on the first application at least)

BigAunty

princeofpounds wrote: »

It's quite interesting reading between the lines of those cases.

To me, the most interesting one was where the council clearly doesn't believe that two of the family are actually homeless. They appear to have joined the housing application but not actually been resident as part of the household beforehand.

Yes, I have seen television documentaries, including those in London, which follow Housing Officers dealing with homelessness cases and they routinely have to check if information contained on the homelessness application are true (often in the face of the poor interpersonal skills and sense of entitlement of the applicant, many of whom seem to generate chaos rather than providing actual information about their household and previous tenancy).

National Audit Office data matching exercises have also thrown up cases of fraud where people claim to be homeless but actually own homes, for example, or have been allocated social housing properties when there is no entitlement.

To the OP - I hope you do get responses from people in London that have gone through the homelessness application recently but please do appreciate that they are processed on a case by case basis and supply of vacant properties to the local authority will change on a daily basis. One household may be catapulted directly into social housing while another ends up in a private tenancy miles away from their original home, perhaps outside London, and sometimes hundreds of miles away while another will end up in interim accommodation in a hostel or B&B.

I think you have to be prepared for not knowing specifically where the council will place you until the last minute if they are obliged to help you with housing and not just advice.

Have you looked at the homeless strategy of your local council? We have had posters on this forum before that have mentioned particular local councils and we've been able to find explicit information published by them on the demand for their services and targetted at their homeless applicants to manage their expectations, telling them explicitly how/where they've been housing those they have a statutory obligation to help.

vansboy

Are you aware of

http://www.nosecondnightout.org.uk/

They will help ensure that you are NOT on the streets for more than - as the name suggests - more than one night.

Do you have a local connection in another borough, or town away from where you are now? If you do, then Local Authority in that area will be able to give more assistance, possibly rent deposit schemes, safeguarding the rent for a landlord and even finding accommodation.

VB

lighting_up_the_chalice

vansboy wrote: »

Are you aware of

http://www.nosecondnightout.org.uk/

They will help ensure that you are NOT on the streets for more than - as the name suggests - more than one night.

Do you have a local connection in another borough, or town away from where you are now? If you do, then Local Authority in that area will be able to give more assistance, possibly rent deposit schemes, safeguarding the rent for a landlord and even finding accommodation.

VB

If the OP has had an AST, then she has a local connection as she has lived there for 6 out of the last 12 months. As long as the first 3 homeless hurdles are passed (eligible for assistance, homeless and in priority need), which they appear to be, the authority has a LEGAL DUTY to provide temporary accommodation, so "street homelessness" should NOT be an issue.