I think your advocacy is wonderful and so realistic and humane. Too many people trust the system, and are passive through politeness and embarrassment. Heartbreaking when only the most resilient survive and the most vulnerable wait, if you are not extremely assertive and knowledgeable you are forgotten. It's a fine line between being persistent and getting more effective help or annoying the housing officer and it having an adverse effect on how you will be treated and the length of wait or quality of accommodation. Very scarry and sad.
Thank you for this video, I’m a single mom for 2 teen boys, one about to take GCSE on May, my landlord of 10 years served us notice through his agent . I’m already struggling with inflation, now I’m trying to finding a private tenancy is nightmare with unrealistic conditions & higher rent prices. Thank you so much your explanation, much appreciated! 😌
I’m In Swindon where my great grandparents settled and we are now a ‘sanctuary’ town for immigrants. The council was recently boasting on points west about housing 400 Ukrainian refugees and my partner and I have been bidding for four years for a place and our eviction notice was the 24 of last month!
Personally, I think the issue is rooted more on successive governments' failure to ensure the supply of adequate housing, education and job opportunities. I wonder if immigration would be such an issue if these aspects of society weren't so shit. But personally I am interested to hear what you have done to improve the situation, either now or 4 years ago before you started bidding. Have you met with any politicians? Have you been to any council meetings to raise the issue? I'm not having a pop, it just seems there are some easy wins that people could use but instead they focus on immigration on social media where it will change nothing at all.
So, sending the council an email saying you received a S21 today, is the correct way? I mean one has two months, but does this trigger the duty of care?
Yes it will initially trigger the prevention duty once you're within 56 days of the s.21 expiring. Watch this video to see how it progresses: ua-cam.com/video/LbsuEEASkn4/v-deo.html
Hiya, I will take this question anonymously to the livestream on the 9th Jan 2025. You don't need to watch it live - the recording can be watched afterwards in the 'live' section of the channel.
A friend is living in supported living but is very unhappy there due to antisocial behaviour from other residents and she has poor mental health. Can she ask the council to move her? Can you be put in other temp accomodation without a priority need?
yes, sorry for using jargon. An approach is simply when someone who is homeless approaches a council for housing assistance, i.e. makes a homelessness application
should do, although it's possible the council officer might be being clumsy with the language, the key question is, did you ask the council for help with housing, and did you tell them you are homeless.
@@homelessnessbestpractice Would it be possible to contact you via email or phone to get specific advice? My approach has been denied and now i'm confused if i should make a new application per email as you suggest, or ask for a 184 decision letter (which they are being dogy about providing) and then asking for a section 202 review - not sure an approach confirmation i got by filling out their online form will count as an application confirmation. Meanwhile my section 21 eviction notice expires on nov 15, so not sure how much time i have. Would love to contact you if possible.
Hiya, unfortunately I don't have capacity to deal with specific situations. I would make a Subject Access Request and make a fresh homelessness application at the same time following the steps in this video: ua-cam.com/video/bb7t8TfWknc/v-deo.html
Hi darling. Thank you I've been following your vids. I'm disabled , private rent. D.v court case. Landlord selling but not given notice. 2 of us in 3 bed. I need to move borough to be near my mom. How easy would this be as council not giving much info and I'm hair pulling.
Hi I would like to ask I got the eviction letter from my landlord and I’m in London, Islington council, when I called the council they asked me to send the eviction letter I’m waiting to hear from them. At the moment I’m in the council housing list too, I can bid but I have 160 points and I’m nowhere near to a property. I have two sons some is autistic. Council asked me to fill out a homeless application and once I apply for homelessness application they said that I will loose all my points from home connection, so I’m bit puzzled at the moment which way to go. Please give some advice on this Thanks
Hi.. The case of the 17 weeks pregnant homeless girl .. She is now heading to 20 weeks and Havering council says they have done their part on finding a temporary accommodation which is in an hotel as she keeps emailing them if there are any updates on her case. She is very desperate as she needs a proper temporary accommodation as it is impossible to raise a new born in a hotel room that only has 1 window and there is no air circulation but the council keeps avoiding her. Today she finds out the hotel doesn’t give her access for simple things such as a freezer and microwave because Havering council didn’t give permission. In addition, she doesn’t have the right of free meals and this is why she needs a freezer and a microwave for her food. She doesn’t know what to do as Havering council keep avoiding to help her and she doesn’t know any foundation or organisations that helps pregnant women when they are being avoid. In conclusion, her salary is not enough to even apply for a private home as the rent in London for a 2 bedroom house is going for £1,700 to £2000 and she will be on maternity leave by September and everyone knows maternity leave is only a percentage of the salary given. Please urgently help her as she doesn’t know what to do.
Has she complained to the CEO of the council yet? Also, she should make a Subject Access Request through the council's website to get a copy of all her records. This will inform the complaint to show what dates she's been in the hotel. In the complaint she should quote this paragraph of the Homelessness Code of Guidance: 16.30 Housing authorities must not use B&B to accommodate families with children or pregnant women except where there is no alternative available, and then for a maximum period not exceeding 6 weeks. Guidance states that B&B type accommodation is never suitable for 16-17 year olds. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) recommends £100-200 per week over the 6 week limit pregnant women are housed in hotel / B+B accommodation plus additional money for time and trouble / distress the situation caused: www.lgo.org.uk/information-centre/staff-guidance/guidance-on-remedies?chapter=8 'The law says this type of accommodation is never suitable for young people aged 16 or 17 and families with children or a pregnant household member. The Suitability of Accommodation Order 2003 says it can only be used for a maximum of six weeks for families when no other accommodation is available. We will assess financial redress in these cases by reference to the number of weeks a family has stayed in B&B beyond the point where they should have been moved. This may be earlier than the maximum six weeks. We are likely to recommend a weekly payment in the range of £100 to £200. This payment is additional to reimbursement of any specific quantifiable costs that the homeless household incurred.'
...She should ask for £200 per additional week she has been in the hotel. She should also be prepared for the council to be slow in dealing with the complaint and try to downplay the seriousness of the situation. Most likely she'll need to go through the complaints process on to the LGSCO. Hopefully this will get her moved to more suitable TA and also result in a decent compensation payment.
@@homelessnessbestpractice Thank you for helping her she didn’t know all of this information as it’s her first time homeless. She will search to see who is the CEO and sent a complaint email. Thank you 🙏🏾
As ALWAYS Great advice ... Everyone - please learn as much as you can to help yourself for Homelessness ... I "CC'd" via email to the Current Elected MP For Banbury and this I believe will help the Council Housing Team to think again about "fibbing" and "fobbing" me off as a needed person neededing help !!!
Thank you always tuned
Thank you so much for these videos. Really appreciate it.
No worries!
I think your advocacy is wonderful and so realistic and humane. Too many people trust the system, and are passive through politeness and embarrassment. Heartbreaking when only the most resilient survive and the most vulnerable wait, if you are not extremely assertive and knowledgeable you are forgotten. It's a fine line between being persistent and getting more effective help or annoying the housing officer and it having an adverse effect on how you will be treated and the length of wait or quality of accommodation. Very scarry and sad.
Thank you for this video, I’m a single mom for 2 teen boys, one about to take GCSE on May, my landlord of 10 years served us notice through his agent . I’m already struggling with inflation, now I’m trying to finding a private tenancy is nightmare with unrealistic conditions & higher rent prices. Thank you so much your explanation, much appreciated! 😌
Thank you for the advice, much appreciated.
Thanks so much to advise
I’m In Swindon where my great grandparents settled and we are now a ‘sanctuary’ town for immigrants. The council was recently boasting on points west about housing 400 Ukrainian refugees and my partner and I have been bidding for four years for a place and our eviction notice was the 24 of last month!
Personally, I think the issue is rooted more on successive governments' failure to ensure the supply of adequate housing, education and job opportunities. I wonder if immigration would be such an issue if these aspects of society weren't so shit.
But personally I am interested to hear what you have done to improve the situation, either now or 4 years ago before you started bidding. Have you met with any politicians? Have you been to any council meetings to raise the issue? I'm not having a pop, it just seems there are some easy wins that people could use but instead they focus on immigration on social media where it will change nothing at all.
So, sending the council an email saying you received a S21 today, is the correct way? I mean one has two months, but does this trigger the duty of care?
Yes it will initially trigger the prevention duty once you're within 56 days of the s.21 expiring. Watch this video to see how it progresses: ua-cam.com/video/LbsuEEASkn4/v-deo.html
Hiya, I will take this question anonymously to the livestream on the 9th Jan 2025. You don't need to watch it live - the recording can be watched afterwards in the 'live' section of the channel.
A friend is living in supported living but is very unhappy there due to antisocial behaviour from other residents and she has poor mental health. Can she ask the council to move her? Can you be put in other temp accomodation without a priority need?
have a look at this video to see if it answers your question: ua-cam.com/video/7IscXfbxhSo/v-deo.html
...i'll discuss it further in this week's livestream on the 11th July 2024
Is an 'approach' same as an 'application'?
yes, sorry for using jargon. An approach is simply when someone who is homeless approaches a council for housing assistance, i.e. makes a homelessness application
@@homelessnessbestpractice So if I have a confirmation of 'making an approach', does that count as proof of application?
should do, although it's possible the council officer might be being clumsy with the language, the key question is, did you ask the council for help with housing, and did you tell them you are homeless.
@@homelessnessbestpractice Would it be possible to contact you via email or phone to get specific advice? My approach has been denied and now i'm confused if i should make a new application per email as you suggest, or ask for a 184 decision letter (which they are being dogy about providing) and then asking for a section 202 review - not sure an approach confirmation i got by filling out their online form will count as an application confirmation. Meanwhile my section 21 eviction notice expires on nov 15, so not sure how much time i have. Would love to contact you if possible.
Hiya, unfortunately I don't have capacity to deal with specific situations. I would make a Subject Access Request and make a fresh homelessness application at the same time following the steps in this video: ua-cam.com/video/bb7t8TfWknc/v-deo.html
Hi darling. Thank you I've been following your vids. I'm disabled , private rent. D.v court case. Landlord selling but not given notice. 2 of us in 3 bed. I need to move borough to be near my mom. How easy would this be as council not giving much info and I'm hair pulling.
With regards to housing register my borough say you must live in the area for 5 years .. is this a legal response 🤔
have a look through this video to see if it answers your question - if not, let me know: ua-cam.com/video/tj3mJ9TVE1U/v-deo.html
Hi I would like to ask I got the eviction letter from my landlord and I’m in London, Islington council, when I called the council they asked me to send the eviction letter I’m waiting to hear from them. At the moment I’m in the council housing list too, I can bid but I have 160 points and I’m nowhere near to a property. I have two sons some is autistic. Council asked me to fill out a homeless application and once I apply for homelessness application they said that I will loose all my points from home connection, so I’m bit puzzled at the moment which way to go. Please give some advice on this Thanks
Hi.. The case of the 17 weeks pregnant homeless girl .. She is now heading to 20 weeks and Havering council says they have done their part on finding a temporary accommodation which is in an hotel as she keeps emailing them if there are any updates on her case.
She is very desperate as she needs a proper temporary accommodation as it is impossible to raise a new born in a hotel room that only has 1 window and there is no air circulation but the council keeps avoiding her.
Today she finds out the hotel doesn’t give her access for simple things such as a freezer and microwave because Havering council didn’t give permission.
In addition, she doesn’t have the right of free meals and this is why she needs a freezer and a microwave for her food.
She doesn’t know what to do as Havering council keep avoiding to help her and she doesn’t know any foundation or organisations that helps pregnant women when they are being avoid.
In conclusion, her salary is not enough to even apply for a private home as the rent in London for a 2 bedroom house is going for £1,700 to £2000 and she will be on maternity leave by September and everyone knows maternity leave is only a percentage of the salary given.
Please urgently help her as she doesn’t know what to do.
Has she complained to the CEO of the council yet? Also, she should make a Subject Access Request through the council's website to get a copy of all her records. This will inform the complaint to show what dates she's been in the hotel.
In the complaint she should quote this paragraph of the Homelessness Code of Guidance:
16.30 Housing authorities must not use B&B to accommodate families with children or pregnant women except where there is no alternative available, and then for a maximum period not exceeding 6 weeks. Guidance states that B&B type accommodation is never suitable for 16-17 year olds.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) recommends £100-200 per week over the 6 week limit pregnant women are housed in hotel / B+B accommodation plus additional money for time and trouble / distress the situation caused:
www.lgo.org.uk/information-centre/staff-guidance/guidance-on-remedies?chapter=8
'The law says this type of accommodation is never suitable for young people aged 16 or 17 and families with children or a pregnant household member. The Suitability of Accommodation Order 2003 says it can only be used for a maximum of six weeks for families when no other accommodation is available. We will assess financial redress in these cases by reference to the number of weeks a family has stayed in B&B beyond the point where they should have been moved. This may be earlier than the maximum six weeks. We are likely to recommend a weekly payment in the range of £100 to £200. This payment is additional to reimbursement of any specific quantifiable costs that the homeless household incurred.'
...She should ask for £200 per additional week she has been in the hotel. She should also be prepared for the council to be slow in dealing with the complaint and try to downplay the seriousness of the situation. Most likely she'll need to go through the complaints process on to the LGSCO. Hopefully this will get her moved to more suitable TA and also result in a decent compensation payment.
@@homelessnessbestpractice Thank you for helping her she didn’t know all of this information as it’s her first time homeless.
She will search to see who is the CEO and sent a complaint email.
Thank you 🙏🏾
have a look at the livestream from 20th June 2024 as we discussed this question there.
have a look at the livestream from 20th June 2024 as we discussed this question there.
As ALWAYS Great advice ... Everyone - please learn as much as you can to help yourself for Homelessness ... I "CC'd" via email to the Current Elected MP For Banbury and this I believe will help the Council Housing Team to think again about "fibbing" and "fobbing" me off as a needed person neededing help !!!
Thanks Mark
Hi very good advice. I'm Disabled and living in car. Can I email you