London Borough of Ealing (23 012 337)
Category : Housing > Homelessness
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 28 May 2024
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the suitability of Council’s offer of interim and temporary accommodation to Mr X in 2020. This complaint was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Mr X could not have complained to us sooner.
The complaint
- Mr X complained about the Council placing him in bed and breakfast accommodation for 14 weeks after he was stabbed and became homeless in 2019. He also says he was then placed in a hostel for 4 months in 2020 which he says was unsuitable due to having stairs.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered the information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X says he was stabbed in 2019 and lost his rented home shortly afterwards. He was offered interim accommodation in bed and breakfast which he was resident in for 14 weeks. In January 2020 Mr X was moved to a hostel following acceptance of the main housing duty. He says the accommodation was unsuitable due to his injuries and it having stairs.
- In December 2020 he was offered his current private rented temporary accommodation which he says is also unsuitable. The Council says that he was advised about his right to have a review of suitability in 2020 but that he did not pursue this at the time.
- Mr X has a current housing application and the Council says it is undertaking a medical review of information he has provided. If this does not change his priority he could ask the Council for a review of his application under s.166A of the Housing Act 1996. We would expect him to pursue this remedy.
Final decision
- We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the suitability of Council’s offer of interim and temporary accommodation to Mr X in 2020. This complaint was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Mr X could not have complained to us sooner.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman