Folkestone and Hythe District Council (18 018 663)

Report Upheld Homelessness 02-Jan-2020

Summary: Mr X complains about the lack of support he received from the Council when he and his family became homeless.

Birmingham City Council (18 019 586)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 23-Dec-2019

Summary: There was fault in the way the Council dealt with Mr A’s belongings when he was homeless. This caused him a financial loss. To remedy the injustice the Council will apologise, pay him £500 and establish written procedures for officers on the protection of homeless applicants’ property.

London Borough of Hackney (18 014 287)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 18-Dec-2019

Summary: Miss X complained about the Council’s handling of her housing case since she became homeless in June 2017. The Council was at fault. It delayed moving her from unsuitable temporary accommodation for 14 months and delayed reviewing her case for four months following its stage 1 complaint response. The Council agreed to pay Miss X a total of £1200 to recognise the distress, uncertainty and time and trouble caused by the faults.

Nottingham City Council (18 016 183)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 16-Dec-2019

Summary: Ms X complained about being placed in unsuitable temporary accommodation when she was accepted as homeless by the Council in 2018. The Ombudsman should not exercise his discretion to investigate this complaint. This is because it was reasonable for her to appeal against the suitability of the accommodation at the time.

Bristol City Council (19 004 898)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 16-Dec-2019

Summary: Mr X complains the Council told his prospective landlord he intended to claim housing benefit, causing the withdrawal of an offer of a tenancy and embarrassment. He also says it mishandled his request for a review of his housing priority band. The Ombudsman found no fault in the Council’s approach. It did not communicate directly with his landlord and it considered Mr X’s evidence why it should increase his housing band but disagreed it should. There was fault in how the Council explained its rule on not investigating complaints older than 12 months. While this caused Mr X no significant injustice, the Council agreed to the Ombudsman’s recommendation to provide a better explanation to others in future.

London Borough of Haringey (19 006 623)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 16-Dec-2019

Summary: Miss B complains about the Council’s handling of her homelessness application and the provision of accommodation. The Council delayed in deciding Miss B’s homeless application and there was fault in the Council’s communication about her housing situation. The Council will apologise and make a payment to Miss B.

Liverpool City Council (19 002 816)

Statement Not upheld Homelessness 16-Dec-2019

Summary: Miss B complains about the Council’s decision to place her daughter, Miss C, in unsuitable housing. There is no evidence of fault in the Council’s handling of Miss C’s homelessness application. The merits of the homelessness decision and suitability of the accommodation offered carry appeal rights and it is not unreasonable to expect Miss C to use these to challenge the Council’s decision. The Ombudsman cannot investigate Miss B’s complaint about the Housing Association’s handling of Miss C’s subsequent request to move to another property because these complaints fall within the remit of the Housing Ombudsman Service.

London Borough of Waltham Forest (19 011 801)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 16-Dec-2019

Summary: Miss X complained the Council has not rehoused her family after they spent six years on its housing register, and it has now decided she is not eligible for social housing. We should not investigate this complaint, as it is unlikely we would find fault in the Council’s actions.

London Borough of Ealing (19 004 055)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 12-Dec-2019

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council placing her in unsuitable temporary accommodation in 2016 and 2017. She also says her banding on the waiting list was changed without explanation in 2019. The Ombudsman should not exercise his discretion to investigate this complaint. This is because it relates to matters she was aware of more than 12 months before she submitted her complaint to us. She had a right of appeal to the courts and it was reasonable for her to pursue this. The decision of 2019 carries a right of review and she can pursue this with the Council.

Surrey Heath Borough Council (19 002 880)

Statement Not upheld Homelessness 10-Dec-2019

Summary: Mr X complained about the way the Council handled his homeless application, its decision to exclude him from its housing register and the interim accommodation it provided. The Council was not at fault.