London Borough of Tower Hamlets (23 017 891)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 12-Mar-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the level of the Council’s payment to remedy Mr Y’s injustice following a previous Ombudsman decision. There is insufficient fault in the way the Council considered the level of payment to justify our involvement.

London Borough of Redbridge (23 009 455)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 08-Mar-2024

Summary: Mr X complains the Council has not dealt properly with his housing because it has placed him in unsuitable accommodation between June 2022 and June 2023. The Council placed Mr X and his family in two unsuitable locations. Mr X suffered avoidable distress and financial loss. The Council should apologise, pay Mr and Mrs X a total of £6,000 for being placed in unsuitable accommodation, and provide information to the Ombudsman.

London Borough of Lewisham (23 014 781)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 08-Mar-2024

Summary: The Council failed to carry out an agreed action to investigate and respond to Miss X’s concerns about damp in her property, following a previous investigation by the Ombudsman. There was also fault by the Council in failing to move Miss X when it decided her temporary accommodation was not suitable. The Council has agreed to make a financial payment and service improvements.

Westminster City Council (23 009 074)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 07-Mar-2024

Summary: Miss C complained the Council housed her family in unsuitable accommodation following a homelessness application which meant she incurred extra costs and lived in unsuitable accommodation for longer than necessary which particularly affected her children. We have found fault by the Council but consider the agreed action of an apology, £1,900 payment, removal of outstanding accommodation charges, consideration of a claim for avoidable travel costs and review of procedure provides a suitable remedy.

Birmingham City Council (23 009 494)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 07-Mar-2024

Summary: There was fault by the Council. It has delayed issuing a decision after a request for a review of the suitability of temporary accommodation. Apologising, issuing the decision and making a payment remedies the injustice. The Council has agreed to make service improvement recommendations already on other complaints to the Ombudsman.

London Borough of Enfield (23 014 039)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 07-Mar-2024

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

London Borough of Bexley (23 016 123)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 06-Mar-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s response to her concerns about works to her property. This is because the matters complained about did not cause her sufficient injustice to warrant our involvement. We do not investigate complaints handling where we are not investigating the underlying matter.

Dover District Council (23 007 377)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 06-Mar-2024

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s handling of his homelessness and how it followed its policies. We found the Council at fault for not giving him the opportunity to make an informed decision when it made an offer of accommodation and not being able to demonstrate it had sufficiently considered his individual circumstances with how it treated his bids for social housing. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to remedy the injustice caused.

Leicester City Council (23 015 900)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 05-Mar-2024

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to meet its duties to him when he became homeless and gave him the wrong priority on its housing allocation register. There was fault in how the Council handled Mr X’s homeless application which caused him confusion at a difficult time. The Council agreed to apologise to Mr X, review its procedures, and issue reminders to its staff. However, I did not investigate the rest of Mr X’s complaint. When Mr X came to the Ombudsman, the Council was still within time to consider its reviews of his housing allocation priority and whether he was in priority need as a homeless person. Also, there is no merit in investigating further any information the Council provided Mr X about a homeless shelter.

Somerset Council (23 009 511)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 05-Mar-2024

Summary: Mr W complained the Council has delayed its review of its decision he was not in priority need of housing. When its review was completed, it agreed he had priority. We found the Council has caused a delay and is therefore at fault.