Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

If so perhaps you could ask the council when they say they have nothing available that :

A 3 bed house on Warwick Close has been empty for over 6 weeks and the ex-tennant keeps returning to pick up their mail.

A 2 bed house on Summerset Close has been empty for about 6 months.

Several 3 bed houses on Medoway are left empty.

Food for thought :D

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Sounds like up here were the council closed up a block of 16 flats 18 months after refurbishing them. Personally I think they cant be bothered and more worried about what they can get themselves. They might be keeping those for immigrents. Seems odd considering that Medoway housing has back and front gardens and suitable for families so why empty if there is a large waiting list?

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Spuggie, im not being racist here but the last Polish immigrants that moved onto Medoway was not welcomed. I dont know the inns and outs of what went on but i do remember the big fight last summer. The Polish seemed to think they could do what they wanted around here and not be liable to our laws of the land.
Medoway got fed up with them and showed them the exit off the estate.
So i really dont think they would welcome anymore immigrants around here.

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

There are no council houses in Hyndburn and havent been for over a year.
Hyndburn Homes may well have policies different from those the council had ref allocation and occupation.
At the moment Hyndburn Homes are busy catching up with decades of neglect in repairs and improvements.This is a 5 year programme - maybe at the end of the 5 years there will be funds for new builds - who knows - more social housing is needed at affordable rents.
Harwood Red may decide to give us more info

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Yes but if there are empty houses why cant they be made ready for new tenants?

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Your right Margaret. There have been years of neglect. Many empty properties are 'not fit to let' inside and The Council/HH now, have had little money to do them up. I can't understand why voids were not top of the priority repairs list in year 1. I'll ask Ken Bury.

New builds are unlikey because the Conservatives are opposed to Social Housing. They are currently encouraging private builders to take up the housing allocation quota for the next few years. Councillors Britcliffe and Dobson (The Chair) are directors in the board of HH as well so they influence policy both ways. Hyndburn's housing policy is shambolic and will leave residents with a big bill in the bottom drawer if our town is to look like a proud town, and not one with a lot of empty terraced houses, or BTL with a higher proportion of anti-social tenants.

The previous thread said there were 3,000 waiting on the Council House waiting list (75% of Hyndburn Homes vacancies are given to those on Council House waiting list), mostly 'hidden homeless', people shacking up at someone else's or in currently unsatisfactory accomodation. A member here asked how the Council had allowed this to happen.

There is a report from Overview & Scrutiny somewhere from 2 years ago. When I was on O&S I asked for a special enquiry into the matter. In the end it was all washed over which was disapointing because back then I wanted some action. I still do but there is no chance. If a remember Doug Heyes chaired it. It must be somewhere on the Council's website.

One story came out. A semi-d bungalow up Ossy. One of the houses had been bought under Right to Buy, the person died, and the relatives sold it to a private landlord. It was rented out quickly for £100 per week. At the same time the next door, still owned by the Council, was also rented for £55 per week.

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

I totally agree with you they should let these propertys but they should be offerd to local folk not some EU LOT who turn up in this country we a rake oh kids an a beggin letter an exspect to get every thing for nowt:mad:

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

The houses around here have had gas central heating in, double glazed windows. The ones on Medoway have had all the exteriors done in pebble dash, new guttering, new soffits ( think thats what you call them), fences to front and rear, double glazing etc.

The house thats empty on my street is decorated to a very high standard. Whoever gets that house is getting a real gem. Its just had gas central heating in place. Its double glazed as well. Its ready and fit for somebody to move in right away. As far as i know, not one person from the council has entered this house since the last tennant vacated. If its left any longer the warm summer nights are coming, the youths will be walking the streets in their packs, getting drunk and this house will be broken into and vandalised.

Just tonight as i was standing in my front garden we heard the shattering of glass. Somehow i think that could have been the front window of the house on Summerset Grove as it sounded like it was coming that way.

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Hmmm thanks margaret for the mention :rolleyes: although I don't have anything to do with Hyndburn Homes as most of you know I work for Twin valley homes which was also a council stock transfer... but we are over 6 years down the line now...

As for empty properties not seeming to be let..there could be a few answers to that one...

1. as graham jones said the relet repairs may be beyond the coffers at the mo

2. The tenant has not given notice so the HH are not aware there is no-one living there (especialy if rent is still being paid via housing benefit)

3. HH are aware it is empty but are unable to just go in and change the locks, they have to serve a "notice to quit" which is min of 28 days and then they sometimes have to apply to the courts to change the locks and take possession.

4. The property although no one living there is being used as a mail drop and the tenant is still claiming housing benefit

No matter what the reason someone needs to report the empty properties to HH just in case they are not aware it is not been lived in!!

As for building new social housing we have done so for the past couple of years and I would imagine regardless of what the "conservative" council would like the housing corp via (what used to be the office of the deputy prime minister) odpm is keen for this kind of housing to be built and offer quite generous grants in regeneration areas... the likes which I can see is happening around the church traffic light area.

As for the lettings of properties we operate a different system to hyndburn but I would imagine that they will follow suit quite soon

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

I think that answers all of the original question - thanks

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Thats quite alarming if that sort of stuff goes on. Don't Housing Benefit check what they are paying out for ?

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

In exceptional circumstances they do, where u have overlap, ie in a refuge/safe house accomodation, if u have to move house within your notice or over your notice, say house moving into is ready or landlord requires u move in before your notice on your existing home or new home repairs took longer than the notice given to old house so notice extention was required, you can apply to housing benefit for those reasons. I've had a 4-6 week overlap as new house wasn't ready in time for moving into also ive had my house emptied & rent covered for 4 weeks too in another borough.

So there is sometimes genuine reasons tho disgraceful that properties can exceed that time just for mail drops - thats criminal!!

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

They have to sometimes willow, say i get offered a new rented house even with HH, i look round today generally they like u to move to new one when your old ones notice is served, but in cases where repairs are needed they can drag on longer than expected

ie - notice on old house 30/6/07 ends & new tennancy starts but the repairs on new house is taking longer than that you can get weekly extentions to your notice on the old house till the new house is fit to move into - say it takes 2 weeks longer so means i got a 2 week extention on old house tennacy - this means there will be 2 weeks rent owing on new house as well as 2 weeks on old house - this is what they call an overlap which housing benefit will cover [they will cover upto 4 weeks sometimes more if exceptional circumstances ie refuge cos u have rent to pay in ref as u have rent in house u have had to temp or permanantly leave with few weeks + 4 weeks notice]

If this wasn't available then many could not simply move or take on new homes, thus many benefit people would accrue debt they cant afford, basically its set up so that houses can be let or re let in the rented sector - tho is open to abuse at times as landlords can get pushy as to taking up a tennacy asap - even before the 4 weeks notice required on previous properties & the new landlord gets rent quicker than waiting for the period to end.

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Mel sorry to correct you on the overlap but this has been clamped down on... overlaps are only given in extreme circumstances.. if there are repairs to be done to the property then a delayed tenancy start should be offered which means that the tenancy will start but no rent charged until the property is available to move in. (housing benefit would not be paid in Blackburn for this reason)

If it is adaptations for medical reasons that need to be done then an overlap can be given

Other than that overlaps are only usually given for the termination period of previous property when the move was urgent due to medical need or in the case of domestic violence.

Overlaps apart from in the case of adaptations will only be paid when the tenant has moved.

As for willows comment on who will be paying for the other property they are living in...usually it's due to them shacking up with a new boyfriend/girlfriend so they are not paying rent their new partner is!

Lancsdave, there is not really the opportunity to check everyone's details all the time, although they do spot checks from time to time but it can't happen with everyone..imagine how many people are claiming housing benefit

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

You may correct me as i can only go off personal experience - & there are exceptions as ref which is still countable, so i wasn't too far off the mark with one then LOL.

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Nope I know someone who SIGNED OFF JSA, and moved, now he owes £2000+ to HBC as they continued to pay rent to the landlord and Council Tax bill. Even though he wasnt living there and had signed off.

Im not supprised a lot of houses are empty. not the best of areas.

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

That does suprise me as over in Blackburn the department of works and pensions that pay the JSA automatically notify capita (who deal with housing benefit and council tax benefit) when someone's claim has stopped for whatever reason!! Then housing benefit dept automatically notify us as landlords that their claim for HB has been suspended (as they write out to the tenant to ask why their claim for benefit has stopped). We as landlords then also write out asking how they are going to pay their rent and if no response check the property is still lived in, then service notice etc....etc....

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

I to agreed its stupid.

Basically he moved, signed off JSA, they continued to pay the landlord (he also didnt say anything) now they found out he signed off and wasnt entitled to Housing and TAx benefit they are hitting he for the over payment, even though the landlord has had the cash.

He has been to CAB ect and they all say that he is responsable for the over payment and he should of nitified housing himself, I personally would think signing off would do this?

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Unfortunately he let himself down by effectively abandoning the property... and the landlord was none the wiser so why should they be out of pocket??

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

The landlord knew he had left and was working on/in the property as it needed a bit of work doing to it, hence why he left.

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

But then they may have thought he only moved out temporarily whilst work was going on which happens quite a lot on a reburish.. When all said and done it is his responsibility to advise them in writing that he was leaving and he has to give 4 weeks notice too... Its all in the tenancy agreement

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

No he knew he had moved out and wasnt returning.

Fair enough if he did lets say take 4 weeks extra rent, but to take around £1000, was IMO out of order.

IMO if someone signs of JSA or any other tyoe of benefit they should inform all there other department (ie housing) that benefits are no longer to be paid.

I have had them say it to me in the past, JSA & housing are different they dont talk to each other.:confused:

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

But if you are a genuine person in need of housing, you should not be too bothered where you go.
Its not too bad up here, you get teens, drugs, anti-social behaviour on private estates too.

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

I would agree if you are in desperate need it would be a god send.

Accrington is full of problem areas, I have lived in a few, Summerset Grove was one of the worst for gangs of kids (And I mean Kids) walking around just casuing distress to people and damaging cars ect.

It was a few years ago though, whether things have changed?? Although I do recall reading about a guy who chased police back into there vehicle with a meat cleaver recently on Summerset Grove. Not my preference of a area to bring a kid up in.

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Its pretty much the same. The meat clever incident was made to sound far worse than it was actually. From what ive been told from the people directly involved is they didnt even get out of their vehicles in the first place and it was hyped up far worse than was it actually was.

Fern Gore is another problem hotspot. Its todays society and the lack of discipline from the parents.

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Have to laugh out very loud!!!! HAHAHHAHA

How peoples perceptions of areas are different than the truth F-G isnt that bad as the reputation that preceeds it:rolleyes: suppose its like medoway where i used to think was rough - or that i knew rough people there :rofl38:

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Theres a 6 year waiting list for up here believe it or not :eek::eek:

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

I lived up F-G approx 6 years ago. The gangs that was causing the problems up there have now dispersed and moved elsewhere. Some have kids of their own now.

I personally think all areas and quiet spots and bad spots.

Where my parents live at the back of Rhyddings park a few months ago they had gangs going around. Next door but one to my parents is a bungalow thats been left to rot for about 15 years now, my parents have had to go out several times to the gangs as they have been trying to put the windows through. I dont think these "lads" even live on a council estate either.

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

LOL dont think anywhere escapes its pockets of trouble - ive lived in some interesting places, mind u some were really bad but entertaining than the bill at times :rofl38:

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

i agree on that Mel. :s_gupjump

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Thats the press for you, allways exagarate a story.

No Dont believe you.:D:D:D

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

No i didnt beleive it but its true:eek:

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

It would seem that there are houses sitting idle; others in need of repair. This makes no sense. If the council isn't renting the former and cannot repair the latter, then perhaps they should get out of the housing market altogether. There may be potential renters out there who would be glad of the opportunity to buy some of these properties and fix them up.

Re: Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ?
 

Yes but what about the ones that need no work like the one on our street. Its immaculate inside.