Council Housing - help - 10 year requirement

everyday7

Hello
I have found myself in a situation where I am no longer able to support my family and we will need help. My local council, Hillingdon, will not add anyone onto the social housing list unless they have been living in Hillingdon for 10 years.
I have been here for 5.5 years. From speaking to the council last week they said there wasn't anything they could do for me because I failed to meet this 10 year requirement.

Do I have any other options? Most other councils don't have a 10 year requirement.
I fear if nothing is sorted out in the next month we will have no where to go.

poppy12345

everyday7 wrote: »

Hello
I have found myself in a situation where I am no longer able to support my family and we will need help. My local council, Hillingdon, will not add anyone onto the social housing list unless they have been living in Hillingdon for 10 years.
I have been here for 5.5 years. From speaking to the council last week they said there wasn't anything they could do for me because I failed to meet this 10 year requirement.

Do I have any other options? Most other councils don't have a 10 year requirement.
I fear if nothing is sorted out in the next month we will have no where to go.

Even if most councils don't have this requirement i think you'll find the waiting lists for social housing are huge. If you were put on a list now it could be years before you're offered a property. Renting privately is most probably your only option.

everyday7

Thanks Poppy. Would this apply to people with children. I know there is a very long waiting list but I thought when there were children involved the waiting list is much shorter

jayII

I agree with Poppy, most waiting lists are very long.

In theory they are shorter, (in certain circumstances,) if children are at risk of homelessness, but that may just mean that you are housed in a hostel or B&B for several months or years, whilst waiting for more suitable accommodation.

gettingready

Are you for real?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5545403

Missus_Hyde

My situation is that I am looking to buy an investment property, off plan 1 bed flat in London on a town that will get crossrail.
Prices have been increasing a lot. The area have a strong rental market and demand will only increase once crossrail starts in a few years. The investment flat I was looking at would be ready in q2 2018 it is a 1 bed but at £330k is about 10% more expensive than other one bed room flats in the area, this was because it was a luxury flat. I was all set to buy until they told me that flat was non assignable so I couldn't sell it to someone else until I'd have completed. My worry with this is that if I couldn't raise the money then I'd be stuffed as I couldn't sell it to a third party. But my other worry is that house prices fall down a cliff in the next 2 years. How realistic is that? With crossrail coming I think the prices will have some resilience but it not having the option to reassign the flat is a big worry. All of plan developments nearby have sold out within hours which either means it's a great investment or we are in the middle of a bubble.

What happened about your "investment flat" in London?

Methinks someone is either in the realms of fantasy or telling porkies!

FBaby

I expect OP will say that he lost his job and can't afford his nice home any longer and the investment never happened.

[Deleted User]

If truly desperate, you could try calling Shelter for advice, but the post indicated above (about 'making a killing' in property) does hint you have some resources that people who would normally be considered in housing need don't have.

poppy12345

everyday7 wrote: »

Thanks Poppy. Would this apply to people with children. I know there is a very long waiting list but I thought when there were children involved the waiting list is much shorter

What about your investment property? Whatever your reasons for the post above the answer stays the same whether you have children or not. Council won't just wave their magic wand and produce you a house. I doesn't work like that. It'll be hostels or B+B's.

TELLIT01

gettingready wrote: »

Are you for real?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5545403

That was only posted a couple of months ago and the OP was then investigating a possible speculative purchase. There was nothing to say that they had made a purchase.
There can be a dramatic change in personal circumstances overnight, let alone over a couple of months.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

There are always exemptions to these rules. Each council has its own housing criteria. You need to see the actual policy document to see what the exemptions are.