London Borough of Tower Hamlets (19 018 409)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 30-Nov-2020

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the Council placed his family in unsuitable temporary accommodation when they were homeless. He had the right to appeal to the county court about this, and it was reasonable for him to do so.

London Borough of Enfield (19 004 042)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 27-Nov-2020

Summary: Miss X complains that the Council did not adequately help her when she became homeless and did not properly respond to her complaint. She says she was homeless for six weeks and lost sentimental belongings when she was illegally evicted. She says this caused unnecessary distress, upset, and cost her time and trouble. The Ombudsman finds fault with the Council which caused Miss X injustice. The Ombudsman is satisfied that the Council has apologised to Miss X and made a payment to reflect the injustice. The Ombudsman is also satisfied with the action the Council has taken to improve its homelessness service.

London Borough of Lambeth (19 020 503)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 27-Nov-2020

Summary: The complainant says the Council failed to help him find accommodation when homeless and its delay caused him to lose the home he applied for. The Council says it acted in line with its duty and helped secure accommodation. The Ombudsman finds the Council acted without fault in offering help but that it acted with fault in not issuing a second Personalised Housing Plan.

London Borough of Lambeth (19 014 290)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 26-Nov-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman has completed our investigation. The Council failed to take a homeless application from Mr X and delayed activating his housing application. To remedy the injustice caused, the Council should apologise, pay Mr X £250, and take action to improve its service.

London Borough of Havering (19 014 379)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 26-Nov-2020

Summary: The Ombudsmen are satisfied a Trust, Council and CCG provided largely appropriate care to an elderly woman with complex care and housing needs. However, the Ombudsmen find fault with the initial support provided by the Council’s housing team. This caused the woman’s son avoidable frustration and distress. The Ombudsmen also find the Council contributed to the woman’s delayed discharge from hospital as it failed to clearly establish her housing needs.

London Borough of Ealing (20 001 874)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 25-Nov-2020

Summary: Miss B complains the Council wrongly evicted her, without notice, from the temporary accommodation where she was living with her two children. She said the Council then would not provide her with any assistance to find alternative accommodation even though she was pregnant. She said the loss of the accommodation caused considerable distress to her and her daughters. There was fault which caused injustice to Miss B. The Council will apologise and make a payment to her for the injustice caused.

London Borough of Bexley (19 009 687)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 24-Nov-2020

Summary: Mr X complains about the Council’s handling of a homelessness application he made and alleges the Council did not pursue his complaint about housing officers who met with him. There was fault by the Council because of a delay in assessing Mr X’s homelessness application. However, Mr X did not suffer a significant injustice because of the delay to warrant further pursuit of this complaint by the Ombudsman.

Isle of Wight Council (20 001 517)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 23-Nov-2020

Summary: The Council failed to provide support to Miss Y as a care leaver, particularly with finding suitable accommodation, after it failed to recognise she was a looked after child between the ages of 16 and 18. To remedy the injustice caused to Miss Y it will apologise, revise its procedures, assess what support Miss Y should receive as a care leaver, and make a payment to acknowledge the distress and uncertainty caused by fault.

East Suffolk Council (20 001 667)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 23-Nov-2020

Summary: Mr X complains about the way the Council dealt with his request for homelessness assistance and his application for social housing. The Council’s failure to identify and accept Mr X’s contact in June, July or August 2019 as homelessness applications and make enquiries amounts to fault. As does the Council’s failure to provide Mr X with suitable interim accommodation which was immediately available. These faults have caused Mr X an injustice.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets (19 020 739)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 19-Nov-2020

Summary: Miss X complained about the Council’s failure to provide her with suitable accommodation when she made a homelessness application. She says her well-being suffered because she spent too long in unsuitable accommodation. The Ombudsman has found the Council took too long to rehouse her once it had decided her flat was unsuitable. To remedy the injustice caused to Miss X, the Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to her.