Council Housing Help Needed - Overcrowding/Upgrading

car0line123

If you don't have enough space for a cot, you could try a travel cot (much smaller) with a decent mattress. Just make sure the mattress is safely attached, because you do not want to risk baby being stuck underneath.

For the first 3 months, a moses basket is enough, and does not take any space at all.

I am very sorry to read you are disabled, but it sounds like you are doing great: if you can raise 3 children and go to university at the same time, you will have no problem to find a job.

freezspirit

Like others have said check your housing association/ council housing guidelines. Some can exchange/ upsize or downside with different amount of time spent in the property, some its 12 months others can be 5 years. I'm sure a lot happened last year because of the bedroom tax that people were downsizing.


I don't know if your area uses a point system or grade system but if you tell them your current situation or future family addition they can tell you if a suitable wheelchair friendly property comes up.


Does the property have to be in a certain area or if a suitable property came up in a different area are you willing to move? Although with both studying at university and children already at school not likely.

Twiglet12

If the furniture etc. is getting mouldy then it sounds like a condensation damp problem as opposed to something structural, especially as you mention it's cold and that you have a wet room. Does the wet room have mechanical ventilation?

You need to improve the ventilation by opening windows when cooking or drying washing, and also keep the flat warmer. Drying one load of washing indoors releases several litres of water.

You also need an electric dehumidifier if ventilation doesn't help- those small boxes are completely useless. I think the only thing you can reasonably expect the council to help with is improving the insulation if you are losing a lot of heat.

freeisgood

Does the uni offer "family accommodation" to rent? Some do, cheaper than private. It's student digs for students with families.

lighting_up_the_chalice

Social Housing availability varies greatly depending on where you live. In some areas, you may be looking at a wait so long that it effectively means you will never, realistically, be re-housed. In other parts of the country, you can pretty much walk in off the street and into a 3 bed house.

The overcrowding policy in your area will be found within the local allocations policy, usually available on-line. That document will also detail priority need.

If your area has CBL (Choice Based Lettings - ie bidding) previous results are usually published and will give a good idea of how long people are waiting to be re-housed into specific areas/property types.

Don't waste too much time with the legal definition of overcrowding. As has already been said, rooms other than bedrooms will be counted, babies under one aren't counted and, as the overcrowding is the result of normal family expansion, the housing provider would not be the cause of that overcrowding and, as a result, under any legal obligation to address it.

Hump

Your landlord may already subscribe on behalf of their tenants to one of the many mutual exchange websites - if they do, then sign up and give it a go. Sounds daft but the bedroom tax does mean there are a few people looking to downsize - but be realistic, the only way to get a house will be to be prepared to move to a much lower demand area than where you live at the moment - to stay in a similar area you might need to consider a flat or maisonette. If your landlord doesn't subscribe to a website then you would be able to view prospective swaps on many sites for free - but you won't get the contact details without subscribing. There are many sites but look for a member of Home Swap Direct such as House Exchange or Homeswapper - see https://www.gov.uk/government/news/homeswap-direct-offers-fresh-opportunities-for-social-tenants

gazter

Hump wrote: »

. Sounds daft but the bedroom tax does mean there are a few people looking to downsize

It's not daft, that is its purpose....

vanillacustardtart

Things sound pretty dire where you are, but lots of council housing is like that (in my experience!) and you either put up with it or make changes in your lives to enable you to get out of it.

If you and your partner both choose to study at the same time then the price you pay, I guess, is that you have to live somewhere far less than ideal in a number of ways. Can't one of you work and the other study and then rent privately? If you are on a low wage you can get Housing Benefit to help with your rent, you would be "entitled" to Housing Benefit rates based on a 3 bed property due to the ages of your children.

In the area I live in the South East you'd need to be "overcrowded" by 2 bedrooms to be considered a priority to be offered a bigger property. You would not be considered as technically overcrowded as you and your partner could use your living room as a bedroom. In fact, why not do that? Have good qualify sofa bed or futon, have you wardrobe and other furniture in the other two rooms and your daughter can have one bedroom and your son the other. Baby can be in cot in the living room with you. I've done this before and it's not too bad once you get used to it.

[Deleted User]

I realise its not ideal. Contact your MP, see if they will/can help.., with both the repair issues and the overcrowding issues. Buy a dehumidifier on ebay (I did). Contact Environmental Health, make a complaint etc.

Even with box rooms, you could put bunk beds in one room.

If you have no other choice, I have known people live in one room in emergency housing for two years. Its not pleasant, but it is what has to be done if no option. Your housing is cheap.., use it on a temporary basis until you can afford better.

While waiting for the mould problem to be sorted, wear thick household gloves while cleaning up. Move furniture away from walls where ever possible. Put furniture against dry walls if you can (even if you have to be inventive).

I know it seems insane to be suggesting these things, decent housing should be a minimum, but unfortunately it isn't.

TBagpuss

One thing to check is the situation with housing in your area. Unfortunately, in many places 3 bed properties are like gold-dust, as they tend to be the most sought after (and often, will have been particularly attractive to those using right to buy)
I know in my area there are so few suitable properties that realistically, someone waiting for a 3 bed is never going to get to the top of the list.

Unfortunately for you, your children's ages mean that you are unlikely to be the highest priority for whatever limited stock there is.

In relation to the damp, keep on to the landlord about this, and involve environmental health if it is severe.

Similarly with the antisocial behaviour - log every incident with the landlord, follow up all options they offer in relation to addressing the issue, including an mediation based suggestions.

The lack of outside accessand the security doors are not relevant to your housing needs, in terms of factors which the council would consider.

Your neighbour's use of language you don't approve of is unlikely in iteself to be antisocial behaviour, although if she is aggressive to you personally, or the noise she makes is enough to be seen as a nuisance you can raise that with your landlord.

The distance to car parking is unlikely to be relevant unless your disability is such that this means you cannot readily access or lave your home, in which case you are likely to need medical evidence.

The damp issue - depending how severe this is this may be your strongest point, but you could find you were moved to other, emergency housing if you property is seen as unfit for habitation.