If you’re Homeless or threatened with homelessness in 28 days and want assistance from a Local Authority then a Local Authority should treat you in accordance with the Housing Act 1996, particularly Part VII. In addition to this they should take note of guidance contained within the Homelessness Code of Guidance.
Unfortunately for you the Department [...]
Archive for the ‘Gatekeeping’ Category
If you’re homeless and wonder why the LA won’t help you.
Posted in Gatekeeping, Uncategorized on November 1, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Gatekeeping – Common Local Authority Boll**ks
Posted in Gatekeeping on October 15, 2009 | 3 Comments »
‘You would expect Local Authority professionals to tell you the truth’ says a Youth Support worker endeavouring to help homeless 16 year old.
‘Well yes, you would in theory’ House replies with a sinking heart as House prepares to enlighten said innocent worker to the joys of Local Authority bad practice (or misfeasance perhaps in some [...]
No ongoing duty for YOU!
Posted in Gatekeeping on August 17, 2009 | 2 Comments »
House is coming across a rather disturbing practice that appears to be on the rise amongst Local Authorities. House shall call this practice ‘The Disappearing Duty’ or TDD for short.
House now works in a fairly rural area. Local Authorities are now trying to state that because they have no ‘accommodation of their own’ that they [...]
Rent arrears = always intentionally homeless, apparently
Posted in Gatekeeping on August 11, 2009 | 1 Comment »
House has noticed a rather worrying growth RSL and Local Authority Neighbourhood Housing Officers doubling as Gatekeeper’s to the promised land of the ‘homeless application’ especially where rent arrears are involved.
House recently saw a letter from a Neighbourhood Housing Officer of a rather large Housing Association that stated ‘as a result of the proceedings you will be found [...]
Sunday rant.
Posted in Gatekeeping on March 29, 2009 | 1 Comment »
House was wondering whether there are any areas of Law other than Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 that are so deliberately disregarded and abused by a Local Authority.
The Local Authority that House deals with is slightly different from House’s old LA. House’s new LA is ’slightly’ better at taking Homeless applications but then just writes the most mind bendingly odd decision letters that have nothing [...]
Social Services – Ed Balls bless you
Posted in Gatekeeping on March 19, 2009 | 1 Comment »
‘Their father is a self employed driver so the two children can spend the night in the car.’
Hurrah for social services.
Can’t afford to pay your mortgage = reasonable to remain??
Posted in Gatekeeping on March 19, 2009 | 11 Comments »
It may well be to do with ‘el credit cruncho’ but House is seeing a lot of folks who can’t afford their mortgage. In some of these cases the client will not have the costs of the mortgage met by the DWP and without any real prospect of getting into a position whereby they can once again afford to pay [...]
Depressingly familiar
Posted in Gatekeeping on December 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
THIS article here (thanks Mark P and Nearly) gives an insight into some of the joys of being a Local Authority Housing Option’s Officer. I’d call them a homelessness officer except that homeless people don’t exist as people who might formerly be known as homeless people are actually people who haven’t had their housing options properly explained [...]
An apology.
Posted in Gatekeeping on November 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
House apologises for posting his thought for the day. He hadn’t noticed that our noble government has pledged £200 million to end rough sleeping once and for all.
This will undoubtedly include measures to stop the widespread gatekeeping rife amoungst Local Authorities. Local Authorities will now carefully consider whether or not the street homeless people who [...]
Gatekeeping – Thought for the day
Posted in Gatekeeping on November 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
It certainly makes House wonder when no homeless approach is taken from a person who has been homeless for 2 years sleeping in a car having approached a Local Authority 6+ times for help (a Local Authority who even write on their file that the person is homeless).
House even wonders if Local Authority housing officers (i was going to call them homelessness officers [...]
