aster housing / council housing

Camster

OP you mentioned about losing points, so presumably your council is using some sort of points based allocations system. These are normally based on your need for housing, taking into account things like being overcrowded, medical conditions and being in insecure accommodation. If you are then rehoused in accommodation by the council that meets these needs, then you would no longer be eligible  any points you had been awarded for these factors.

If you took on the tenancy, you could apply for a transfer, but if you were a new tenant who was adequately housed, you would  probably be near the bottom of the transfer list, so you could wait a long time for a move.

If the Aster housing doesn't work out for you, there would be nothing to prevent you from ending the tenancy and moving to private rented property or buying somewhere if this was an option for you. 

Lucyx

Camster said:

If the Aster housing doesn't work out for you, there would be nothing to prevent you from ending the tenancy and moving to private rented property or buying somewhere if this was an option for you. 

Thanks, but would you want to move from a privately rented property, to an aster property that you can't get any answers on from the council or a reasonable conversation, to find there are problems after all that you were asking about, so then move back to private rented, having lost the points that you've gained over years?

Especially, would you go through all that when it is your right to refuse a property that's offered and keep your points?  Would you go through all that with health problems?  

HampshireH

Call Aster.  If your query relates to the property. Which council are you working with?

Chandler85

Your moving from Private to Astor, you can move from Astor to private as well. You don't have to live there forever. 

You just can't decide to move Astor to Astor very easily,  mainly because there isn't even enough houses for people who need/ want them.

Also you don't really "gain points" for council housing lists, most of them are from an assessment of your needs.

You could also refuse the property and get given two more choices which are worse, that's how these things work.  The same housing officer will probably apply to all of them though.

Lucyx

HampshireH said:

Call Aster.  If your query relates to the property. Which council are you working with?

I don't think the council lady in question would be happy about me putting that here.  ;-)
My query would have been best dealt with in a friendly way, hostility and behaviour that makes someone feel like they are back in the school playground just results in further complications (plus people forgetting any useful answers they have been given).
The woman has been long enough in the game to have developed professional conversational skills.

Lucyx

Chandler85, thanks for your comments.  It's up to me to decide now.  I appreciate your thoughts.  Moving from pillar to post though is hard with health problems.  But I take your points.

Chandler85

Lucyx I genuinely feel for you, but while the situation within social housing is that there isn't enough homes, and then certain categories have even less available in them, so the chances of swapping a home once you are in it is low unless you can find a mutual exchange yourself.  If the home you have been offered is suitable for at least a few years then I would take it.  The next 2 offered might be worse.

Alternatively if you think in 12 months you'll need to move again due to your own health issues, then I wouldn't, only you can judge that, and I guess you might not even be able to.

You could look at what other types of property Astor offer as social rent?  No point holding out if 99% of the properties they actually offer are less suitable.

HampshireH

Asked about council as may have been able to advise depending on Local authority and their local lettings policies.

However I imagine you need to make a quick decision as they don't normally wait this long for someone to accept/decline before moving on to the next person