London Borough of Hackney (21 002 382)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 25-Feb-2022

Summary: Ms B complained that the Council has failed to ensure her temporary accommodation is kept in good repair and has failed to move her to alternative accommodation. The Ombudsman found the Council was at fault because it delayed in completing pest control treatment in September 2020 and delayed in completing proofing works to Ms B’s flat. In recognition of the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to apologise to Ms B and make a payment to her.

London Borough of Brent (20 006 380)

Statement Not upheld Homelessness 25-Feb-2022

Summary: The Ombudsman found no fault by the Council on Mrs T’s complaint of it leaving the family in unsuitable accommodation between February and August 2019. It offered her a property which she viewed and refused. She unsuccessfully challenged its suitability by way of review. There was no fault on her complaint about it refusing to apply for a disabled facilities grant. Officers visited and decided the works were not appropriate or practical because of their cost and size of the site. Nor was there fault with the processing of her 3 unsuccessful bids for accommodation.

Liverpool City Council (20 013 524)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 25-Feb-2022

Summary: Miss X complained about the support the Council provided after she became homeless in March 2020. There was fault in how the Council made a final offer of accommodation to Miss X and how it refused to process a homelessness application from her after her circumstances changed. The Council agreed to apologise to Miss X, make another offer of accommodation and pay her a financial remedy. It also agreed to remind its housing staff about the correct approach to its offers policy and repeat homelessness applications.

Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (21 003 920)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 24-Feb-2022

Summary: Miss D complained about how the Council dealt with concerns she raised about her temporary accommodation. She says the Council delayed dealing with her complaints of disrepair and it took several months to find alternative temporary accommodation. We find the Council was at fault as it delayed inspecting the disrepair issues, failed to follow up with the managing agent and delayed finding suitable alternative temporary accommodation for Miss D and her family. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to address the injustice caused by fault.

London Borough of Lambeth (21 005 670)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 24-Feb-2022

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council wrongly placed her in a temporary accommodation which was not properly set up for the individual billing of utilities and council tax. We found the Council at fault for placing Mrs X in the accommodation without ensuring it was properly set up for individual billing, and its failure to resolve the matters when she brought it to it and its Agent’s attention. The Council agreed to apologise and make payment to Mrs X. It also agreed for it, or its Agent, to take responsibility for her utility and council tax costs until the individual billing issues are resolved.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (21 003 702)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 22-Feb-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Ms X’s homeless application and her housing priority. It was reasonable for Ms X to seek a remedy by appealing to the courts on a point of law.

Brighton & Hove City Council (21 003 779)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 22-Feb-2022

Summary: The Council was at fault because it did not review the suitability of Mr & Mrs X’s bed and breakfast accommodation and consider moving them to self-contained temporary accommodation. It also took far too long to make a decision on their request for a review of their bedroom needs for their Homemove social housing application. The Council has agreed to provide a suitable remedy for the injustice caused by these faults.

Westminster City Council (21 016 549)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 17-Feb-2022

Summary: A man complained about the Council’s review decision letter which upheld its earlier decision to end its homelessness duty in his case because he refused an offer of accommodation. But we will not investigate this matter because the man has a statutory right of appeal to court he can use to challenge the Council’s decision.

Wokingham Borough Council (20 011 651)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 15-Feb-2022

Summary: There was fault by the Council in how it handled Ms B’s housing situation. It failed to take into request specialist medical knowledge to inform a review of its decision to offer her accommodation, and it failed to communicate with her effectively. The Council also failed to direct Ms B to make a fresh homeless application when her circumstances changed. The Council has awarded Ms B a high priority of housing need and backdated this on its housing register. However its failures caused Ms B distress and uncertainty. The Council should also reconsider whether it owes her a housing duty and make a payment to her.

Broadland District Council (21 014 610)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 15-Feb-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has failed to properly deal with a homelessness application, resulting in a homeless man living in a caravan on the complainants land. This is because the complainant does not have consent to complain on behalf of the homeless man and the Council did not play a role in the ongoing arrangement for him to live on the complainants land, therefore we cannot find it at fault.