Housing advice needed urgently

Johny86

Hi All

Hope you guys are well. Basically, I live in a one-bedroom council (London Borough) permanent flat with my two opposite gender children aged 14 and 15. I have been bidding since 2016 for a three-bedroom property with three reasonable preferences awarded for medical, overcrowding, and working resident category. My children have been sleeping on the floor and sofa in the living room. I had got my local MP involved, she had written to the council several times, but their response was the same each time. They are advising me to bid continuously or go private rented. Not seeing any solution, I than went to citizen advice bureau and got a housing lawyer involved. He had sent them a letter asking to rehouse us to a bigger property but the council gave exactly the same response as the MP. Recently my wife and a 1-year-old daughter have moved in to live with us. I have already included my youngest daughter on to the housing list but nothing changed no priority was given. The preference remains the same and council response is continue to bid. I have explained the entire situation that there are five of us living in one bedroom tiny flat. There isn't any room to put the cot for my daughter and the property has damp and mould everywhere which could be detrimental to our health, specially the toddler. I even included an article from a newspaper about a 2-year-old boy dying due to chronic exposure to the mould and I worry for my daughter. The relationship manager from the Council replied the same once again. I have got my local MP involved again to deal with this matter. She wrote to them and awaiting a response currently. As you see I have exhausted all the revenues I had at my disposal. My question is what other options do I have in order to secure a three-bedroom property ASAP? What is the best course of action in my situation? Any question please feel free to ask. Your expert advice will be highly appreciated. Many thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing from you.

Devongardener

Where were your wife and baby living before they moved in?

Johny86

They were abroad and came over to live with me 

KxMx

A child of one may well be expected to share a bedroom with parents.
In my area under 1's are ignored for housing purposes, in an area with increased demand such as London you may find that age is even higher. 

What does your Boroughs allocation policy say, are they themselves following it correctly? 

Have you been in touch with Environmental Health about the mould? Or asked the LL  to send a damp expert round to do an assessment?

Unfortunately even for priority cases for rehousing there is a general shortage of social housing everywhere. I'd imagine that in London the problem is more acute.

Where generally are you placing for properties at the moment, and what is the average available number of properties coming up each cycle? 

Johny86

Yes I have and waiting to hear from them. I place bid on ELLC website and there are barely any properties. Sometimes weeks go by nothing comes and if it does then only 1 property a week.

silvercar

I'll ask the forum team to move this to the housing board.

Do you have any connection to a different London Borough eg do you work somewhere else, that may allow you access to their housing list by dint of having a connection?

GibbsRule_No3.

Intrigued, where is the "housing board", what thread does it come under?

Brewerspride

GibbsRule_No3. said:

Intrigued, where is the "housing board", what thread does it come under?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/house-buying-renting-selling

breaking_free

OP, is there a reason why you won't rent privately? 

Johny86

silvercar said:

I'll ask the forum team to move this to the housing board.

Do you have any connection to a different London Borough eg do you work somewhere else, that may allow you access to their housing list by dint of having a connection?

Please do I didn't realise I wasn't on housing board. 

No I do not have any connection. I work within the same Borough.

GibbsRule_No3.

Confused the link just led back to this board, so did the thread start elsewhere?