Homelessness

Braintree District Council (19 014 986)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 18-Feb-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman does not have reason to start an investigation of this complaint that the Council had not given a homeless man enough help in finding housing. This is because the man has now been offered suitable accommodation, and it is unlikely we could achieve a better outcome for him than this.

London Borough of Newham (19 008 332)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 18-Feb-2020

Summary: The Council was at fault because it placed a wrong address on an appendix to a letter accepting a duty to accommodate a resident. The Council also failed to contact the resident to review his situation. There was no injustice to the resident from these faults. The resident did not contact the Council for 18 months about the homeless application and it would have been reasonable for him to follow up the matter at the time.

London Borough of Croydon (19 010 862)

Statement Not upheld Homelessness 18-Feb-2020

Summary: Mr X complains the Council is acting unreasonably by saying he does not qualify for its housing register on residence grounds as it was responsible for him moving out of the Borough in 2016. There is no evidence the Council placed Mr X out of the Borough in 2016.

London Borough of Barnet (19 005 727)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 18-Feb-2020

Summary: Miss Y complained the Council failed to properly review whether her temporary accommodation was suitable for her and her family to live in and failed to properly deal with a cockroach infestation within the block of flats in which she lives. There was fault in the Council's decision-making process. The Council has agreed to apologise, move Miss Y to alternative accommodation as part of an estate regeneration plan and pay her £150 to remedy the uncertainty caused.

South Cambridgeshire District Council (18 007 828)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 17-Feb-2020

Summary: There was fault when the Council disposed of personal belongings Mr X left in interim accommodation he occupied when he was homeless. This caused a significant injustice to Mr X. The Council has agreed to provide a suitable remedy.

Liverpool City Council (19 002 147)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 13-Feb-2020

Summary: Miss X complains about the way the Council has dealt with her homeless application and failure to provide suitable temporary accommodation. Miss X also complains that the Council failed to protect her personal belongings. The Ombudsman finds that the Council delayed making a decision on her homelessness application and failed to review the suitability of the temporary accommodation. To remedy the injustice caused, the Council has agreed a remedy to reflect the level of distress caused to Miss X.

London Borough of Lewisham (19 003 685)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 13-Feb-2020

Summary: The Council took sufficient action to assist Mr X with finding accommodation after he became homeless. But it is at fault as it delayed in sending Mr X's personalised housing plan to him, did not notify him of the ending of the relief duty and how he could challenge that decision and delayed in deciding if it owed the main housing duty to him. These faults did not cause significant injustice to Mr X. We cannot investigate Mr X's complaint about the Council removing and destroying his van as the Council was acting on behalf of DVLA so the matter is outside our jurisdiction.

Leicester City Council (19 007 344)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 13-Feb-2020

Summary: Mr B, a landlord, complains that the Council failed to provide adequate and timely support to himself and his tenant causing him distress, inconvenience and expense. The Ombudsman finds the Council was at fault in that it delayed in providing advice to Mr B but there is no evidence to suggest this affected the outcome. The Council's apology is a sufficient remedy for the frustration Mr B suffered.

Liverpool City Council (19 008 264)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 11-Feb-2020

Summary: Miss B complains that the Council has not properly dealt with her application for housing for herself and her son or a complaint about bullying. The Council was at fault because it delayed investigating her complaint. Miss B has not had her complaint investigated. The Council has arranged to investigate Miss B's complaint and invited her to meetings so it can do so. This is a suitable remedy.

Colchester Borough Council (18 016 190)

Statement Not upheld Homelessness 04-Feb-2020

Summary: Mr Y complains about the way the Council dealt with his homelessness application and allocated him emergency accommodation. The Ombudsman has found no evidence of fault in the way the Council considered these matters.