Leicester City Council (21 013 827)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council house sales and leaseholders 04-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has delayed the purchase of a property under the Right to Buy scheme. This is because it is reasonable to expect her to use the remedy available to her via the courts.

Folkestone & Hythe District Council (20 010 166)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 04-Mar-2022

Summary: The Ombudsman found fault on Mr L’s complaint about the Council’s actions when he became homeless. It failed to: consider him homeless during his initial visit; provide evidence and details of temporary accommodation offered and how it assessed suitability for a vulnerable person; show it explored with him his limits on sharing accommodation. The agreed action remedies the injustice caused. There was no fault in its decision about his lack of local connection preventing him joining the housing register.

London Borough of Merton (21 000 548)

Statement Not upheld Allocations 04-Mar-2022

Summary: There is no fault in the Council’s decisions on a housing transfer application. When Miss X supplied more evidence the Council’s increased her medical priority but there is no evidence that it should have backdated the decisions. It is not possible to reach a decision on what happened on a social workers visit, as it was a private meeting and the accounts do not agree.

Wychavon District Council (21 016 566)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 04-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of Miss X’s housing application. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

Cambridge City Council (21 006 315)

Statement Not upheld Homelessness 03-Mar-2022

Summary: Mr X complained about the way the Council handled his homelessness application. The Council was not at fault.

London Borough of Croydon (21 007 124)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 03-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has not provided the complainant with suitable housing even though she has been on the housing register for seven years. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Birmingham City Council (21 016 003)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council house sales and leaseholders 03-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Mr X’s Right to Buy application. This is because we are unlikely to find evidence of fault by the Council.

London Borough of Enfield (21 001 843)

Statement Upheld Allocations 03-Mar-2022

Summary: Miss X complained about the failure to make a safeguarding referral, the priority awarded to her Housing Register application and poor conditions in her temporary accommodation. We found the Council has taken satisfactory steps to improve safeguarding procedures and staff training following the concerns Miss X reported. We did not find fault in the way it assessed her priority on the Housing Register. There was fault in the way the Council responded to reports of a mice infestation in her temporary accommodation. We have completed the investigation because the Council accepted our findings and agreed to provide a suitable remedy for the nuisance and inconvenience this caused.

London Borough of Lambeth (21 016 625)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Managing council tenancies 03-Mar-2022

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the actions of a Council officer in relation to the redevelopment of a Council housing estate. This is because we cannot investigate complaints about the management of social housing by councils.

Cherwell District Council (21 007 194)

Statement Not upheld Other 02-Mar-2022

Summary: Miss B complains that the Council incorrectly told her she could buy the rest of her ‘shared ownership’ home at a discount, then, after realising its mistake, withdrew the discount. This meant she could not afford to proceed with the purchase. She says the Council’s error meant she spent money on conveyancing fees which she would not otherwise have spent. The Council has already made a suitable offer to remedy her injustice, so we have discontinued our investigation.