Westminster City Council (21 008 800)
Statement Upheld Homelessness 04-Apr-2022
Summary: there was fault in the way the Council communicated its decision to Mr X when it put him on the temporary accommodation transfer list and failed to notify him of his right to request a review of its decision that the property was suitable. The Council has agreed to provide a suitable remedy for the injustice caused.
London Borough of Bromley (21 006 385)
Statement Upheld Homelessness 30-Mar-2022
Summary: Mrs C complains that the Council provided her with unsuitable interim accommodation under the homeless duty it owed her. She said her daughter's room was too small and this affected her mental health. We find fault by the Council because it did not inform Mrs C of her right to appeal to court when it told Mrs C her property was suitable.
Statement Not upheld Homelessness 28-Mar-2022
Summary: Mrs X complains for Mr Y about the way the Council responded when he became homeless and the suitability of temporary accommodation it provided. The Ombudsman has found no evidence of fault in the way the Council considered these matters to May 2021 when it accepted a main housing duty towards Mr Y. It would be reasonable for Mr Y to exercise his right of review of the suitability of the temporary accommodation offered as the Council has accepted a main housing duty. So, we have completed our investigation.
London Borough of Lewisham (21 003 193)
Statement Not upheld Homelessness 27-Mar-2022
Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to investigate a burglary she suffered at her temporary accommodation property. I ended my investigation. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify further investigation and we cannot achieve the outcome Ms X wants.
London Borough of Barnet (21 012 763)
Statement Upheld Homelessness 24-Mar-2022
Summary: The Council was at fault for the way it dealt with Ms X's homelessness review. As a result Ms X had to wait longer for decision. The Council has agreed to apologise to Ms X and make a payment to Ms X.
Salford City Council (21 016 155)
Statement Not upheld Homelessness 23-Mar-2022
Summary: Miss X complained about the support the Council provided after she applied as homeless in 2020. There was no fault in how the Council responded to Miss X's reports about the condition of her property or how it dealt with her application for social housing.
London Borough of Barnet (21 009 994)
Statement Upheld Homelessness 21-Mar-2022
Summary: There was fault by the Council. It failed to respond to changes in circumstances when a families housing became overcrowded. Backdating the date on which the families priority banding increased remedies this injustice. The Council also failed to offer the family temporary accommodation until over a year after the change in circumstances occurred. A payment remedies the uncertainty caused to Mr X, as it is not certain he would have accepted an earlier offer of temporary accommodation.
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.
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.
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.