Birmingham City Council (20 001 377)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 28-Jan-2021

Summary: There was fault by the Council as it delayed making a decision on an application to join the housing register. The Council has agreed to consider a new application and whether it should be backdated, to remedy the injustice from the delay. There is no fault in the Council’s actions to prevent homelessness, as Mr X found his own accommodation.

London Borough of Waltham Forest (20 004 236)

Statement Not upheld Allocations 28-Jan-2021

Summary: Miss B complains the Council failed to help her move to alternative social housing because of overcrowding and safety concerns. We do not find fault with the Council.

East Hampshire District Council (20 009 257)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Private housing 28-Jan-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about help provided to a landlord through the Tenancy Bond Scheme. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

London Borough of Islington (19 020 427)

Statement Upheld Allocations 27-Jan-2021

Summary: The Ombudsman found fault by the Council on Ms L’s complaint about it failing to properly consider her application to join its housing register. It failed to properly consider eligibility for overcrowding points, delayed an investigation, failed to provide updates, and delayed making a referral for an occupational therapist to assess her son’s needs. The agreed action remedies the injustice caused.

Birmingham City Council (20 006 411)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 27-Jan-2021

Summary: A woman complained the Council had not properly credited payments to accounts she holds with it. But we will not investigate this matter as there is no sign of any fault by the Council which has caused the woman a significant injustice.

Leeds City Council (20 009 253)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council house sales and leaseholders 27-Jan-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s valuation of her property under the right to buy scheme. This is because it is reasonable for Mrs X to appeal the Council’s decision to the District Valuer.

Leeds City Council (20 008 724)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Managing council tenancies 26-Jan-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mr Q’s complaint about the Council’s delay in dealing with his Right to Buy application. Part of the complaint is late. It would also have been reasonable for Mr Q to use the statutory Right to Buy delay procedure and, if necessary, go to court. Nor will we investigate Mr Q’s complaint about the Council’s failure to fence off land adjacent to his house and to make it part of his garden. This is because it is late.

Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (19 019 564)

Statement Not upheld Homelessness 26-Jan-2021

Summary: We found fault with the care and support provided by the Council, Trust and CCG to Miss X, a vulnerable young woman with complex needs. We found this placed Miss X at significant risk in the community and caused her and her family avoidable distress. These organisations have agreed to apologise to Miss X and pay a financial remedy in recognition of the impact of this fault on her.

Bristol City Council (20 001 861)

Statement Upheld Allocations 26-Jan-2021

Summary: Miss X complained about the way the Council assessed her priority band for the Bristol Home Choice scheme. We found no fault in the way it made that decision. However its handling of her complaint was poor and it has agreed to apologise for that.

Leicester City Council (20 006 027)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council house sales and leaseholders 25-Jan-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complain relating to the terms of sale of a property under Right to Buy legislation. The complainant should have asked the district valuer to decide any question about valuation of the property. We could not alter the terms of the sale which the complainant and Council have now legally completed.