can I make self homeless and approach local council to safeguard my family?

sharmaine

hi I’ve been under vile attacks on myself my partner and my young children my housing association have had 14 incident numbers for assault and harassment police told them to rehire us as the back windows been cracked badly by bricks front doors borderd up on inside but has no locking mechanism and is split and under daily attacks… can I make self homeless and approach local council to safeguard my family

Holly_Scope

Hi @sharmaine that's awful. I'm really sorry about what your family is going through. You've done the right thing going to the police. Have you spoken with your local council about what's happening as there are processes in place to support you in this situation?

If you feel like your family is in immediate danger, it's important to call the police straight away.

sharmaine

I have approached local council already and they stepped in while my housing wasn’t available over weekend but handed me back to my housing for them to provide the accommodation but they haven’t I called council again yesterday and have left the property and currently at friends and told to go to council Monday morning to see what can do for me

Holly_Scope

I'm really pleased you've got a friend you can stay with @sharmaine, appreciate it's not ideal. I hope you're feeling a bit better being able to get away from the situation for a little while. I hope that you're able to make some good progress Monday. Would you mind letting us know how you get on?

sharmaine

yes of course I will I’m just exhausted by it all now but being away has helped me relax a little bit

sharmaine

Hi to update we still have in the exact same situation and nothing has been done or decided management move wise and looks like they won’t grant it either

Chris75_

Why would you have to stay in place without a lockable front door? Do you mean the door to your tenement, not actually door to your flat?

Is this a council property? What has your local councillor to say about it?

Holly_Scope

Hi @sharmaine. Really sorry that you've not received an answer about moving residence at your meeting Monday. I've just popped you an email. Please keep an eye out for it.

sharmaine

I mean the front door don’t lock apart as the metal mechanism is missing on the frame for the door to lock into is being held shut by 2 small flip locks on the inside and is boarded up on the inside by thin piece wood

Chris75_

This is or isn't a council property? If you haven't already done so, book an appointment with your local councillor (look them up if you don't know their name), that's what they are there for.

sharmaine

It’s housing association I rent from

Chris75_

Your local councillor is still the one to talk to. They usually hold a weekly surgery in somewhere like the local library. You can find out who they are on your council's website.

Storm25

Sorry you are in such a difficult situation: it sounds very stressful (and scary). From my understanding you may want to approach a housing officer at your local council. If you are not safe living where you are they may consider you 'homeless' and be able to help you to find alternative accommodation. Please get advise before 'making yourself homeless', as if you are deemed 'intentionally homeless' because you left (gave notice to quit/stopped paying rent) this could make things more difficult for you. Could you contact the charity 'Shelter'? They may be able to help you understand your options, and the potential consequences of them, and you may qualify for legal help through them if this is needed.

Amaya_Ringo

In our area, there is one day a week when the Council's housing team hold appointments with people in your situation and then try to process the issue and resolve it - you might want to see whether your council has a similar process, whether they do face to face meetings for people who are at risk in the way you and your family are.

I am NOT an expert on housing, but I also think making yourself homeless is a high risk and it is better to proceed through the Council's housing team as much as you can. You may need to also get adult social services involved if there is a risk to your safety and you or someone in your family is especially vulnerable. Making yourself intentionally homeless, as Storm25 said, may make you ineligible for Council support.

I think speaking to your local Councillor is also a good idea. Perhaps also CAB if you have a branch nearby. There are also other organisations which operate and give housing related advice on a regional basis. I don't know where in the country you are, so am not sure what to recommend, but over where I am these do drop ins in local community spaces and so it may be good to look out for fliers in your local library or community centre to see if there are any of those where you are.

In the meantime, I am glad you have someone you can stay with in the short term.

Sarah_Jane

I don't think you should exactly make yourself homeless. As bad as you're feeling right now, you need a roof over your head, as the cold winter months will soon be here. You're only human, and I can understand, it's just a matter of being kind to yourself. Never tell any housing associations or your local council, that you've intentionally made yourself homeless, because it puts you on the bottom of the housing list as non-priority, and then it could take them longer to find you somewhere.

Albus_Scope

Hey there @Sarah_Jane and welcome to the community. 😊

This discussion is a few months old now, so I'm hoping the OP will have resolved the situation, but thank you for showing support.

Girl_No1

I know this is an old thread, and I hope @sharmaine found an acceptable solution.

I noticed no-one recommended contacting Women's Aid, and had I seen the post when it was originally posted I would have done so then.

I hope it's ok to leave the link here for any future readers who may be in similar/same circumstances:

https://www.womensaid.org.uk/

Albus_Scope

Brilliant link, thank you @Girl_No1 I hope it will be of help for someone, but I'm also hoping no one will be in the position where they need to use it.

Sarah_Jane

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1067552#Comment_1067552

Thankyou 😊 @Albus_Scope