Treated unfairly

I have a friend who has mental health and doesn't handle stress well at all he has self harmed and has tried to commit suicide before now. He struggle going out and can't cope with public transport. This description is how he is , he also has PTSD. He won a bid on a sheltered housing flat and went to view it telling the council yes he wanted it. He lives in a sheltered housing flat already but wanted to move as living in his current home made him unwell. He had a verbal agreement with council yesterday having said yes he wanted it . Today they called him to inform him he could not have it as he has got an ASBO against him and also there was on going disputes from his last property. Thing is he has never even had a warning letter from the council for bad behaviour and was homeless previous to this flat. He phoned the ASBO people to be told there is no ASBO for him on record. He is desperate to move he lives on the tenth floor and is isolated and alone. Where can he get help. He has a useless advocate who never gets back to him and I'm worried he can't take anymore
He has won bids on this property before only to be turned down as his paper work need to be suddenly sorted out. They then put the property back on bidding. 
Can his verbal agreement be enforced