Council housing advice

Swift1_3

Problem is theres lots more people who have even more kids. Only chance would be a swap with someone wanting a smaller house or a different area. Much more chance of that than a council move I would have thought.

JoJoB

Guy_Montag wrote: »

Is it unnecessarily harsh to suggest that since they have no room for sprog no.3 then a little more care should have been called for at an earlier stage.

She had been fitted with a coil, which plainly didn't work. Would you like her husband to wear a couple of condoms too? Or just abstain altogether? Or kill her unborn child? These things happen, life doesn't always turn out as planned eh? If only we lived in a world where the rich could procreate, things would be so much better for everyone...

The bunkbed suggestion is at least a constructive avenue - she has looked into this but the kids bedroom has a slanted ceiling making it impossible to fit one in. Moving bedrooms might be a possibility though if there is no joy in getting a bigger place. They cannot fit a bed into the parents bedroom either - it only just fitted the cot in, any bigger and the door will not open. They might be able to find a small bed in the meantime, but it is not guaranteed the girl will sleep in something the same size as the cot - the small size means she bangs her head/arms in the night which wakes her up, then she refuses to get back in!

Council transfer - she has applied for this. Trouble is that her street is notorious for anti-social behaviour. There are a lot of alkies/druggies living there and lots of the associated problems, so she has had no joy with anyone wanting to exchange with her. Possibly they could apply to another area, but all their family are here so I think that would be difficult for them to move away from their support system.

A housing assocaiation is building 12 3 bedroom houses just round the corner from me and I asked them what you have to do to be eligible for one and they said the council has to nominate you for one. She has asked council about this option but again they simply haven't bothered replying to her emails or phone calls.

I'm only asking because i simply don't know council procedure/policy about this sort of thing and I thought someone out there might have experience of this. When I was a child my parents house got reposessed and we got a 4 bedroom council house based on a points system. As there were 2 adults and 5 kids we got so much points for that etc, and girls were not expected to share with boys past a certain age. Probably none of this applies now, and anyway we should have just been left to rot in one room I suppose because my mum had the indecency to follow the Popes ruling on contraception.

Phirefly

gosh I do feel blessed

JoJoB

Doesn't sound like there's very much she can do that she hasn't tried already from the answers here, but thanks anyway to those who offered constructive ideas.

Thanks also to the smug judgemental know-it-alls with the perfectly planned lives, it's nice to know what I'm up against if ever I'm down on my luck.

Phirefly

She'll be ok with a good friend in you looking out for her

JoJoB

tanith wrote: »

I am not sure the council will really do very much if they are short of housing stock... my daughter has 3 children in a 2 bed place all the children sleep in one room and have done since they moved from the one bed flat.. she has two girls 14 and 2 and a boy of 9.. the eldest girl now spends most of her time with her grandparents as she gets some privacy and a room on her own there, she comes back several nights a week and sleeps on a blow up bed so that the other two have a little more space.. so in fact the family have split up because of over crowding and still the council say they have no bigger homes available... I feel so sorry for people in these situations...

It really isn't fair is it? I must say, I was so ignorant of these issues until I met my friend and found out how difficult life is for some people. To outsiders she's just another council estate girl with too many kids and too many benefits. To me she's the bravest person i've ever met. Mum died when she was 11, her dad beat her up for years before she ran away and lived rough from the age of 14. She then found him dead in the bath and continued living rough. Got into a bad relationship with a violent junke which produced the first two kids at an early age and had to fight the courts for custody after he made all sorts of false claims about her. He stole all her furniture and all the kids furniture so she had to refurnish her home from scratch on a single mothers benefits and settle her children down from a traumatised time and learn how to live a "normal" life.

She has since met and married a nice man who works hard, and got pregnant with no 3 accidentally while on the coil which has made things harder financially. But they are a lovely family and it does my head in when people sneer and make judgements without knowing the half of it!

Catblue

I am loving your work, JoJoB.

Your friend is lucky to have you fighting her corner.

Clearly, the email/letter/phone call approach isn't working, so your friend will need to adopt the direct approach.

Seriously, it would be worth your friend going to the council in person and asking to speak to someone about how to get on the HA list. Maybe the Health Visitor would agree to go with her?

dogcat_2

Makes us all realise how lucky we are doesn't it?

Phirefly

JoJoB wrote: »

To me she's the bravest person i've ever met.

Its often these people who end up turning their lives around and rising above the rest of us too. Usually the turning point is when they meet someone who believes in them. Seems your friend's already met that person...

moyilla

But they are a lovely family and it does my head in when people sneer and make judgements without knowing the half of it![/quote]

I agree too, I have 6 children and all I get is judgement from people - they do not know one thing about me but choose to judge me on the basis of otheres

Anyway, how about a sofabed in the livingroom for mum and dad. Not ideal but it frees up a bedroom for the children. As soon as children are in bed and tv and relaxing are done for the night, then pull out the bed and fold away in the morning.

Also what about toddler beds, they are alot smaller that singles and would give a little more room.

I fully understand their situation, I have been there myself and yes it is depressing and hard but it will improve.

If they could save a little each month they would be able to put this towards a private rent. Again, easier said than done I know.

Have they registered on housing association lists? Also I think someone mentioned swapping - that could be promising too - the local council should have cards up on a notice board or a big folder with print outs inside.

They are lucky having a friend like you - best wishes to them.