Test Valley Borough Council (21 016 961)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 11-Mar-2022

Summary: The Council has offered alternative housing via a Social Landlord, Miss X wishes to withdraw her complaint. Therefore, we will not investigate.

Westminster City Council (21 000 049)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 11-Mar-2022

Summary: . The Council’s failure to tell Miss X about her statutory right to review decisions about the suitability of temporary accommodation is fault. The Council also failed properly to assess the risk to Miss X from COVID-19 of remaining in the property while it underwent repairs. The Council has agreed to apologise, pay £500, and take action to improve its services.

Eastbourne Borough Council (21 003 564)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 11-Mar-2022

Summary: Mrs X complained about the way the Council handled her homelessness application and housing priority. She also complained her initial temporary accommodation was unsuitable. The Ombudsman found fault causing injustice in the Council’s failure to properly support Mrs X when she was threatened with homelessness, when it delayed accepting the homelessness relief and full housing duties, and through its failures to communicate with Mrs X. The Council agreed to apologise and pay Mrs X £400.

Allerdale Borough Council (21 003 948)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 11-Mar-2022

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s decision to end its duty to provide interim accommodation to her son, Mr F between June and November 2020. There was no fault in the Council’s decisions to end its duties during that period. The Council was at fault for failing to provide Mr F with a letter about ending its housing duty and for including flawed information in a letter to him when he was evicted from a property in October 2020. However, those faults did not cause Mr F a significant injustice.

London Borough of Bromley (21 010 341)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 11-Mar-2022

Summary: I will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with the complainants reports of housing disrepair and how it supported him when he moved to a new property. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault in how the Council has dealt with the matter.

London Borough of Bromley (21 016 275)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 11-Mar-2022

Summary: I will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with the complainants reports of housing disrepair and how it supported him when he moved to a new property. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault in how the Council has dealt with the matter.

London Borough of Islington (21 011 723)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 11-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. We cannot investigate her complaints about her tenancy or the management of her neighbours’ tenancies because we cannot investigate the actions of social housing landlords.

Leeds City Council (21 017 842)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 10-Mar-2022

Summary: We cannot investigate Miss B’s complaint that her fence has been damaged due to the Council’s failure to maintain vegetation at the neighbouring Council-owned property. This is because we cannot investigate complaints about the management of social housing by councils.

London Borough of Haringey (21 017 226)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 10-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about his housing band allocation. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

Blackburn with Darwen Council (21 000 996)

Statement Not upheld Homelessness 10-Mar-2022

Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to provide her with suitable temporary accommodation when a housing association started possession proceedings on her secure tenancy home. She further complained it failed to protect her belongings. The Council assisted Ms X in line with relevant law and guidance and was not at fault.