SINGLE AND BEING MADE HOMELESS! Help Needed

[budgie321]

My landlord no longer wants to renew the contract which expired on a section 21 notice -trouble is i have no money to use as advance for a new flat! - am on housing benefit and get working tax credits of 208 per month to live off--not enough to save for advance

 

has anyone been in this position-- i am feeling i would be better off if i had a kid -as the council has already told me they have no duty of care to rehouse me and that basically i'm on my own! tough luck!

 

i realise i have to stay put or i will be accused by the council of making myself intentionally homeless to up and leave--but then i will probably suffer court costs too-not that i have anywhere to go to anyway.

 

Has anyone got round this dilema-no money-no-flat-homeless

[Lea_HTH]

The local authority will have something called a deposit guarantee scheme, from which they will be able to assist you with guaranteeing your deposit to a future landlord, they may also be able to provide you with assistance for rent in advance from the tenancy protection fund (your local authority may call this something different, but either way, they have the facility to assist you). The difficulty will be finding a landlord who understands what the scheme means and will accept you on that basis - but the local authority will be able to at least provide you with a list of landlords in the local area. To gain that help though, you will have to wait until you have received your notice of eviction from the bailiffs - which, as you rightly say, exposes you to court costs. It is a shame that cannot be avoided, but the local authority have no duty to assist if they deem you intentionally homeless, as you have already been told.

 

Unfortunately, social housing is currently very scarce, so even those with kids are not being offered properties for many, many years. However, that does not mean that you cannot make an application - you may be lucky and be offered something.

[budgie321]

The local authority will have something called a deposit guarantee scheme, from which they will be able to assist you with guaranteeing your deposit to a future landlord, they may also be able to provide you with assistance for rent in advance from the tenancy protection fund (your local authority may call this something different, but either way, they have the facility to assist you). The difficulty will be finding a landlord who understands what the scheme means and will accept you on that basis - but the local authority will be able to at least provide you with a list of landlords in the local area. To gain that help though, you will have to wait until you have received your notice of eviction from the bailiffs - which, as you rightly say, exposes you to court costs. It is a shame that cannot be avoided, but the local authority have no duty to assist if they deem you intentionally homeless, as you have already been told.

 

Unfortunately, social housing is currently very scarce, so even those with kids are not being offered properties for many, many years. However, that does not mean that you cannot make an application - you may be lucky and be offered something.

 

r u sure -- i was told they could do nothing so i walked out---they are supposed to know their own jobs aren't they?? i still feel like i need to "rent a kid" --i did actually look to see if haringey had a rent deposit scheme over the net but could not find anything---perhaps i'll go back again- just don't want to be frustrated knocking on disinterested closed doors.....

[budgie321]

thanks for the reply by the way

[budgie321]

thanks again lea-- have just gone back to their site and managed to find it---they do not say anything about advance only deposits--they also don't spell out who they will/won't pay to--but they do suggest it needs to be pretty dire--they mention homelessness due to "fire or flood"!!!!

rather than homelessness due to eviction!! plus i imagine from the looks of it -it depends on how many willing landlords have already signed up to the scheme

[Lea_HTH]

Actually they do mention your situation - it's one of the bullet points under the 'fire or flood'.

 

You won't do yourself any harm by asking - the worst outcome is they say 'no we can't help' - which leaves you no worse off than you currently are. The best outcome is 'yes we can help you'.

[budgie321]

Actually they do mention your situation - it's one of the bullet points under the 'fire or flood'.

 

You won't do yourself any harm by asking - the worst outcome is they say 'no we can't help' - which leaves you no worse off than you currently are. The best outcome is 'yes we can help you'.

 

'no we can't help' is what they have already told me-- it wasn't until yr response did i go and revisit their own site -- incidentally i also went to the citizen advice bureau who also said that i was not a priority case and therefore would not be entitled to any assistance and was "shoved" out the door in less than 5 minutes-- so i have been written off on 2 separate occasions by people already working in the "industry"--- at a time when you at at your most vulnerable -needing somewhere to live- you need reliable advice and help by the professionals.....

[Ell-enn]

Have you spoken to Shelter ?

[budgie321]

Have you spoken to Shelter ?

i am assuming that like the council they will be waiting for the 11th hour before they take me seriously--

am collecting as much info as i can right now- i think i may have the phone number - but everywhere i look its the same type of criteria- people with kids first -which is understandable, but its getting to be a jungle out there with little promise..