Homelessness

London Borough of Haringey (18 009 453)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 09-Jul-2019

Summary: The Council failed to help Mr X and Ms Y when their landlord asked them to leave their rented property. The Council used the wrong legislation when considering the case despite acknowledging this was wrong in earlier responses to their complaints. Mr X and Ms Y were caused distress and uncertainty as a result of the Council's actions. The Council should provide them with assistance and pay them £1800 to recognise the impact the fault had on them.

Portsmouth City Council (18 015 382)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 09-Jul-2019

Summary: There was no fault in the Council's handling of a homelessness application. There was some fault in its complaint handling, but this did not cause a significant injustice. For this reason, the Ombudsman has completed his investigation.

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (18 010 385)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 04-Jul-2019

Summary: The Council failed to stop its accommodation providers from removing Miss X from temporary accommodation without following the correct process. The Council should provide Miss X with accommodation and assist her in securing permanent accommodation. The Council should also pay Miss X £2000 to acknowledge the distress caused to Miss X.

London Borough of Wandsworth (18 014 317)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 02-Jul-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman found no injustice to Miss W on her complaint of the Council leaving her and her family in unsuitable temporary accommodation. The Council made 2 offers of alternative accommodation she could have accepted. One was in an area she did not want to live in due to past problems, but this caused no injustice. She has now accepted an offer of accommodation. Records failed to show how officers considered the medical advisor's recommendations and Miss W's evidence. This caused no injustice.

Ipswich Borough Council (19 000 992)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 25-Jun-2019

Summary: The complaint concerns Mrs B's homelessness and housing register applications. The Council was at fault for not telling Mrs B about the priority it had given her housing register application. This caused Mrs B some lost opportunity. The Council has agreed our recommendations that it should apologise and review what happened.

London Borough of Lambeth (18 014 102)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 21-Jun-2019

Summary: Ms B complains about the Council's handling of her request for housing help when she was threatened with homelessness. The Council was at fault. The Council did not give proper consideration to Ms B's homelessness application and delayed increasing her housing register priority. This meant Ms B missed out on suitable properties. The Council has agreed to take a range of actions to put right the injustice Ms B suffered. We have completed our investigation.

London Borough of Barking & Dagenham (18 011 476)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 19-Jun-2019

Summary: Ms B complained about failures by the Council in dealing with her homelessness situation since November 2017. We have found fault with the Council's actions, particularly in evicting her from her interim accommodation without any time to make alternative arrangements, leading to a month of street homelessness. It also delayed in dealing with her complaint and responding to her request for assistance with storage costs. The Council has agreed to pay Mrs B £1150 and review her ability to pay for the storage costs.

London Borough of Islington (18 015 905)

Statement Not upheld Homelessness 19-Jun-2019

Summary: There was no fault in the way the Council handled Mr X's telephone call to its out of hours service to request emergency accommodation for a homeless client.

Worthing Borough Council (18 005 173)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 18-Jun-2019

Summary: Mrs B complained about the Council's handling of her family's homelessness. There was some fault by the Council. This resulted in delay in the Council treating Mrs B as homeless. It also caused Mrs B missed opportunity and uncertainty. The Council has agreed to apologise, pay Mrs B £250 and review its actions.

Peterborough City Council (18 012 324)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 17-Jun-2019

Summary: Mr X complained about the way the Council handled his homelessness application. The Council is at fault for not carrying out a review of its decision to end its housing duty. It has agreed to offer a late review and will consider offering Mr X temporary accommodation whilst it does so.