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Im about to be made homeless

Im a 49 year old woman who suffers with narcolepsy, cataplexy ,osteoarthritis,fibromyralgia as well as anxiety and depression . Im about to be made homeless after 28 years due to landlord wanting to sell up and im wanting to stay in the same area due to me gaving lived here all my life and the great support system i have here. Am unable to afford private renting and council have been next to useless ...im not looking forward to living in a tent....
Replies
You say the council has been next to useless, what are they saying to you?
Senior online community officer
Senior online community officer
I could be mistaken, but I thought that landlords who are not going to renew a long-term tenant's lease are obliged to find that tenant alternative accommodation, especially if they are a vulnerable person. Suggest you ask Shelter about this.
You should also contact your MP. MPs have been known to put pressure on councils who refuse to rehouse private tenants about to be made homeless and get them to reverse their decision.
Senior online community officer
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01626 361101
Text: 07768 808160
Opening hours:
Weekdays: 8.30am to 5pm. Closes 4.30pm on Friday
I believe your MP is Mel Stride and their contact details are:
Call:Tel: 01392 823306
Write to:
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Email: [email protected]
Council and Housing Association homes to rent are advertised through Devon Home Choice.
Are you claiming any benefits? Were you getting a reduced rate of rent at your current home?
You can look at the benefits calculator here to see what benefits you may be entitled to.
Senior online community officer
If you arent getting anywhere with the council, I would really suggest getting in touch with your MP, they do have some clout and can be a real help.
Senior online community officer
What a shame your landlord is selling up after all these years. Do you know what type of tenancy you have? We could look at what your landlord needs do in order to legally end your tenancy and make sure that the correct procedure is being followed.
Council's will always look to see if the homelessness can be prevented first and if they can't prevent it, you will need to meet specific criteria in order to establish what type of duty they have to assist you. It is very often the case that the council will ask you to wait until the very day that bailiff's are coming to take possession of the property. This can only happen if the landlord follows the correct legal process. In my previous job in housing advice I had a fair few possession cases struck out in court because the landlord hadn't followed the correct legal procedure. This is why Council's often do not step in until the very last minute, to ensure that all legal avenues have been exhausted. You have rights as a tenant and the Council want to ensure that you exercise these rights. You can't stop your landlord selling up of course but I really would advise getting your tenancy agreement checked and your notice to quit if your landlord has given you one. Take some time to look at the information on Shelter's website about the types of tenancy agreement you can even use their tenancy checker to help you work out what type of tenancy you have and what your rights are. It seems that you've had a happy life where you are so don't give up until living there until you really have to.
If you need any further guidance just let me know.
Best wishes
Debbie
Ive had my tenancy checked by a lawyer . Thankyou so much for your advice though im very grateful .xx
I'm glad you've had your tenancy agreement looked over by a solicitor. That will be really helpful if you have to apply as homeless. Hopefully it won't come to that though.
I see you're in Band D and this is the banding for people with a low housing need (according to the Devon Home Choice website). Looking at how they prioritise applications doesn't fill me with much hope either. Even getting into Band B looks quite tough
Band B: High Housing Need
Your application will be placed in the High housing need band (B) if you:
You will also be awarded this priority if it is assessed that doing so:
- Meets a social need or supports the delivery of another service
- Leads to effective management of social housing within Devon
Having said that though, as you approach your homelessness date you will be reassessed and placed into the appropriate banding. There is a massive reliance on the private sector for meeting housing need. Even if you go through a homeless application, the local authority can house you in the private sector. Prior to 9th November 2012 if you were owed a full housing duty under homelessness legislation by your local authority you would be offered social housing. The Localism Act 2011 brought in changes to homelessness legislation which has made it possible for councils to offer privately rented accommodation.I hope that by explaining some of these issues it will help you move forward and know what to do when the time comes.
In order to qualify for Band B the council will be assessing privately rented accommodation. If you can provide evidence that you've explored all these avenues beforehand (which I'm sure you will), it could help later on in the process.
I'm sorry that this is all looking quite gloomy at the moment but it doesn't take away the laws that protect you. It's much harder to access legal advice these days but Shelter are the experts in housing and homelessness law and they will be able to advise you on your rights if your council isn't fulfilling their legal obligations.
I hope that you're able to keep in touch and let us know how things are progressing. If you get stuck along the way let me know.
Very best wishes
Debbie