Help Living In Unsuitable Bedsit With Newborn Baby!!!

28/06/2011 5:57 pm

I understand there are a lot of people in unsuitable accommodation such as myself, but I mean I am living in pain right now I have a strain on my hand from lifting the bags and push chair up the stairs. My back is constantly hurting and I have been prescribed painkillers which I am afraid to stop taking if I don't holding my baby becomes a difficult task. I will probably not be at ease until I move out of this ridiculously overcrowded flat. I am now also so depressed from the chain of events relating to this.

Is my HA right in saying they have no priority system other then my priority date for Choice Based Letting.

Thanks

28/06/2011 9:23 pm

As other posters have said, a 5 month old baby doesn't count as overcrowded. At the end of the day priority is based on need, and the most needy are those who are homeless and vulnerable. You have a home, which may not be ideal or comfortable, but neverthless is a home this makes you less needy than somone without one.

Your best option may be to try to get an exchange or as another poster has said, look to the private sector for a home. If the current government have their way social rents will be higher and tenancies granted for shorter times, so the appeal of a HA or council tenancy may not be as great as it was.

There is no shortcut through the system. Depression is a horrible thing, but the best way through it is to take control of your situation- if you feel your housing situation is making your condition worse and the wait for a larger social home is too long then exploring other options will help you make positive moves out of depression.

29/06/2011 11:01 am

Did you stop to consider your housing issues and the effect on you and your childs health prior to getting pregnant. or did you just expect to make a massive song and dance about it and get given a nice shiny new flat to live in.

mother and 5 month baby - 2 bed! what a waste of a 2 bed!

29/06/2011 11:44 am

Hmmm, either Genesis are giving you special treatment or your banding has been decided on the condition of the property rather then the overcrowding There is no way under the HA 1985 that you are entitled to a Band B, ergo your banding is on the condition of the property, take it you have had Environment Health out to complain about something and they found in your favour, served Genesis with a notice?

I am so pleased other Housing Professionals are actually pointing out to tenants that they need to be called to account for their overcrowding and stop laying the blame at the doorstep of the Housing Association or Local Authority due to the lack of housing stock! I did to Caro123 and found all my posts deleted after she no doubt complained to the mods on here.

Back pain isnt going to get you a Band A, I have tenants whom are occasional wheelchair users and the most I argued the medical assessor to award was a Band B.

From previous experience people like yourself are used to kicking off about everything in the hope to get some special treatment,believing the world is against you and you normally get it, people not wanting an arguement or confrontation.

Just accept you are being treated fairly, the allocations policy for Genesis is freely avalaible, read it. Locata scheme user guide is freely online, read it.

30/06/2011 9:31 am

I do find it rather depressing that if someone asks a question on here they get responses judging their morals and implying that they are feckless and expecting everything on a plate. We don't know the beackground of the original posterer and, as such, should address the question rather than heaping opprobrium on them. There may be very valid reasons that even a Daily mail reader would accept as to why this person sought social housing in the first place. The point is we don't know.

Essentially the answer seems to be that you're not being prioritised on date alone as you've been awarded a Band B rating and, yes, genesis are correct in this. As previous posters have said, under the terms of the legislation you aren't yet considered to be overcrowded.

In terms of your medical condition, again it has been said that what you describe is, unfortunately quite commonplace. Your doctors opinion won't be taken into account, only the medical conditions s/he describe.These will be independently assessed in order to work out your priority.

30/06/2011 3:03 pm

Firstly thank you for all the helpful replies I have been given.

As Matt said you do not know why I sought social housing in the first place. If I was not entitled to it in any way and I had the opportunity to be in a better position ie a homeowner I would be.

I have yet to have had Environmental Health out, but I believe my HA thought I would have gone to that measure, so gave me a banding relating to the condition of the property. Even though I was told by the allocations manager it was due to me being "overcrowded and living in a studio flat". After submitting a complaint I was informed by the housing management manager that I was given a band B due to the"crowding and space Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)". ‘Crowding and space’ is described in the HHSRS Operating
Guidance as a hazard associated with lack of space within a
dwelling for living, sleeping and normal family/household life. So I am not being given "special treatment" at all and maybe if I do call Environmental Health my HA might be issued a PO, (again something I am not too clear on) and there would be a time limit on which they would have to act.

Thanks for letting me know that I am unlikely to score highly with on a medical assessment as the highest chronic back pain sufferers seem to score is a B. I am only asking as my HA do not seem to be forth given when it comes to giving such information.

I also requested Genesis's (at the time PCHA) FULL allocations policy and at first was directed to their short version and then after much deliberation and calls back was told they only have an old one in print that they sent to me dated 2008!

I have just checked on CBL and the reason I am up for transfer band B is because of "Statutory Duty". I'm sure it used to say Overcrowding. I am not trying to kick up a fuss to get what I want at all but I will kick up a fuss to know what I am entitled to. If my medical condition is not going to make me anymore of an priority this is fine I am only asking for advice as my HA do not willingly tell their tenants much.

With most councils and HA's you are entitled to a 2 bedroom property when you have a child. What do you think I'm going to use the second bedroom for - a walk in wardrobe? Again something they did not tell me I was told by various staff members I was entitled to a 1 bedroom proerty until my child is one years old. When in fact I have the option to choose out of a 1 or 2 until he is one years old, as they belive an adult and a child can still reasonably share until the child is one. I had to fight to be told I was in fact also entitled to a choice of a 2 bedroom property.

So please I only came on this board to ask for advise and maybe find if there was anyone in a similar situation to myself as suggested.

01/07/2011 8:39 am

Anon, 8.17

Again, my point is that you don't know that this is the case, you're making an assumption.

What if the poster was originally in a relationship in secure accommodation but found herself in this position due to DV? Would you have the same view about her asking the question?

I suspect not. Now I don't know what the case is either so I was making the point that we should answer the question posed rather than making moral judgements without any evidence to support them

01/07/2011 10:51 pm

Anonymous 4:46

If I had fled DV and was rehoused in my current property I would no longer be a band A and I could of been pregnant at the time of signing my tenancy with out knowing. There are all different types of ways one could find to be in this position thanks. Best thing for you is to stop making assumptions.

So If I was in a 2 bed property with a young child and was expecting a child of the same sex it would then be ok as I would not need to move home because I would not require a larger property?

I agree I probably am not statutory overcrowded as my child is under one. I spoke to a member of staff today and lo and behold they told me my banding is due to me being "statutory overcrowded as I live in a studio with a baby" go figure.

Hmmm I think they have assessed me under crowding ad space provisions and as my property scores highly this is why I have band B. I don't quite understand how as niether my HA or Environmental Health has been out to assess so no order has been issued.

Am I wrong in thinking this and why does my HA keep givng me conflicting information?

02/07/2011 12:05 pm

The best thing would be for you to be more clear when describing your situation.

I will correct you though:

If you were a DV case you would be awarded a Band A, you could be moved into temp accommodation to remove you from the danger(again you havent said if you are perm or temp) where you would retain your Band A status to get you back into perm rented.

End of the day you have decided Band B isnt good enough for you, you feel you deserve a Band A.

06/07/2011 10:14 am

Matt on 30/06/11 @ 9:31 you noted

"I do find it rather depressing that if someone asks a question on here they get responses judging their morals and implying that they are feckless and expecting everything on a plate."

When someone keeps using the words "what I am entitled to" I can see why some posters believe she wants everything on a plate.