can anyone advise if it is illegal for council not to house a single parent threatened with homlessness?

Question

and what type of accomadation they would be offered

Answer 1

A person is homeless if he has no accommodation available to him in the UK, or elsewhere, in which he has a right to occupy or that he will cease to have the right to occupy within 28 days. Accommodation must also be reasonable for a person to continue to occupy. Violence or threats of violence likely to be carried out, for example, would fail this test.

A person must also be eligible for assistance. A person from abroad who does not have the right to reside (e.g a worker, a self-employed person or a student) or is subject to immigration control, is entitled only to advice and assistance.

If the person is homeless, eligible for assistance and has a priority need for accommodation (such as dependent children) then the Council must determine if he became homeless intentionally; that is whether he deliberately did, or failed to do, anything in consequence of which he ceased to occupy accommodation that is available and was reasonable for him to continue to occupy (e.g deliberately failed to pay his rent).

If a person is intentionally homeless then the Council have only a limited duty to provide accommodation for a reasonable period to enable him to obtain his own accommodation.

If he is not intentionally homeless then they become subject to the 'main' housing duty. That duty can only be discharged by providing suitable accommodation. The type of accommodation offered will depend on the needs of the applicant.

Since 2004 B&B accommodation can only be provided for up tp 6 weeks pending inquiries.

Answer 2

No it is not illegal for them to not house you if you are being threatened with homelessness. The problem with the council is they only start getting off their arses when you are actually homeless!! Once you are homeless and you have a kid yes they must place you in accomodation, but because council accomodation is in short supply they tend to put you in temporory housing first which is usually one of their less than desirable properties, a hostel, or B+B!! It can take some time before they find you a permanent house!! How long - well this depends on where you curretly live and how far down the waiting list you are placed!!

Answer 3

The Council can only house you if you become homeless and only on the day of homelessness, but you have to prove that you have lost your home, through not fault of your own, that you havent made yourself intentionally homeless...

Not paying your rent, is making yourself intentionally homeless,

If you are being made to leave a property, through eviction, through the end of a tenancy then they have a resposibility to house you or for any other reason but nothing to do with you as a tenant...

As long as accommodation goes, if you are homeless anything will be better then nothing, its usually bed and breakfast, but usually in a self contained abode, then you will get temporary accommodation, a flat or a house, until your turn comes up for rehousing...u can wait anywhere from 2-8 yrs depending on where in the country you are

Answer 4

What the law states and what the try to do is to different things. It really depends on your personal circumstance and believe ot or not they will not help you untill they Really have to. (whether it be the landlord removing your stuff from his/her property to your house being burnt down and officially written off) The system is a complete Joke.
If you are really in a sitation and have no-where to live once you have visited your local homeless persons unit, try going to the C.A.B (Citizens advice). If it is an emergency try calling Shelter on 0808 800 4444 , also you could try calling your local social services, you generally get a better response form them after hours as your deemed an emergency.

I guess its a matter of until you are homeless the council wont help you.

Good luck..

Answer 5

the council does have to offer something as i have been in the same situation,but..you will probley get offered a 1 or if lucky 2 bedroom flat in an area that nobody wants or a bedsit or b and b.you put in an application for homeless the council has 28days to make a decision based on your circumstance they will make you an offer if you refuse what they give probley what i said they will not help you as you refused what offered.you will then have to go on waiting list and wait.hope this helps.

Answer 6

I'm glad that the question was answered by the one above because this is probably a UK question.
To coragryph: this is our problem in UK,if you don't have a house you must demand one and the one that shouts the loudest gets sorted. The trouble is that they all think that the govt. is responsible for all their problems and the overburdened taxpayer must cough up.
the pastime in the UK is for girls unhappy at home, to get pregnant,the govt then give them a home and benefits. boyfriend moves in and then they complain that they are not prepared to work as they are better off not working.

Answer 7

Angie's got it. The Council will house you when you become homeless through no fault of your own, though you'll have little choice and it won't be fancy. Probably B&B or a bed-sit somewhere.

Answer 8

Laws vary by state and locality.

But generally, there is no requirement that the government (state or local) provide housing for any specific individual, no matter how bad their situation.

A large number of single parents are homeless in the US.
It's sad, but it's not up to the government to fix it.

Answer 9

Bed and Breakfast accomodation the bare minimum,then work your way up the ladder.

Answer 10

it's not illegal,

I think they'll just place parent and child in homeless hostel.

Just say your an immigrant, get new house!