Re Housing Question

Replies

By kerry.

Re: Re Housing Question
Thu 4 Feb 2010 17:35

Hi tracey
I'm not really up on housing issues as such but I cannot imagine the council would give you a 4 bed while your kids are small. They would most likely say they can stay in one bedroom while your mum has the other.
There used to be age limits e.g.an 11 yr old boy wasn't allowed to share with a 4 yr old girl and such like but I know with the lack of social housing these days and less than ever being built that they may well be more strict with their rules.
I know of one couple in a one bed flat with 2 boys, another was in a 2 bed flat with two boys, one older and a baby. She didn't get rehoused until she had a third and fourth.
I used to have a parlour house and yes something like this would be ideal for your mum as she could have the front room as her bedroom (like Blanche in Corrie lol) for when she cannot climb the stairs. But again they're few and far between.
I could at this point get on my political soapbox and say thank Good old Maggie but I won't!!! But I know when i was doing my degree recently we did quite a lot on social hosuing and apparently in the 60's and 70's they were building something like 50 thou per year but now it's about 9,000 across the UK, and with our rising population these are being snapped up like golddust.
Have you thougth of trying for an exchange further afield- maybe an older couple who don't want a 4 bed anymore?
Otherwise you'll have to ring the housing dept and find out what their criteria are for moving to larger homes.
Best of luck

By hal

Re: Re Housing Question
Thu 4 Feb 2010 17:37

Hi Tracey

First of all, welcome to the boards. It is a very good question and can understand the reason that you want to know this because of you needing to care for your mum.

Not that I know a lot about these things because there are only the 2 of us at home being me and my wife but I can't see you having any problems of getting a 4 bedroomed house to help with your housing.

Are the properties that you and your mum have council properties or are they privately rented. If they are council properties then I would go and discuss it with somebody from housing at your local council offices explaining the situation that you are in explaining that you have a young family and need a 4 bedroomed house so that you are able to care for you mum at home without having to run there to look after her.
After all, if she has a fall or becomes ill you would be there on hand to assist her when required.

Good luck to you and keep us in touch. If you want to chat with other carers then please come into the chatroom from 10pm in the evening or 2.30pm weekday afternoons.

Thanks

Hal

By PeachyMummy

Re: Re Housing Question
Thu 4 Feb 2010 17:41

Thank you. She does have lots of problems getting up and down the stairs due to being practically immobile so a house with a parlor would be alot better for us.. She Does need around the clock care.. with regards to The kids sharing the other room i dont think it would be possibly with it being a box room we could probably only fit in bunk beds my youngest is Slightly disabled and has balance problems and is currently having physio for it.. So bunk beds are out of the question she tends to climb and then gets unbalanced and falls.... So i can imagine the amount of hospital visits if we got bunk beds lol

Thank you for your advice im really hoping we can be rehoused it would greatly help my mum as i could be there more or less all the time..

:) x

By hal

Re: Re Housing Question
Thu 4 Feb 2010 17:53

Tracey

Thanks for the update. With your youngest having problems of balance then that is another good reason for you to be rehoused in a 4 bedroomed house.
If you are unable to find a house with a parlour then you could look into getting a Disabled Facilities Grant when you move in order to get a stairlift fitted which is something that we did last year which has been a great help to us. No more worries about her falling downstairs when she loses her balance which is something that happened about 18 months ago, fell from top to bottom and ended up in hospital. No bones broken, just a bruised left shoulder really. Was back at home within 10 days.

Best of luck to you

Hal

By PeachyMummy

Re: Re Housing Question
Thu 4 Feb 2010 19:27

Okay thanks to those who have replied to my Question.

I have emailed My Housing association to ask for rehousing explaining the situation & also Emailed the Local City Council asking for housing, we are planning to go and speak to the doctor to see if they could help us if needed.. My mum is getting very depressed With living on her own she used to be out and about every day and its getting her down that she Just cant do that anymore.. We are also planning on making an appointment with the CAB to see if they can advise us any further... any other ideas or suggestions would be gratefully appreciated

Thank you

Tracey x

By hal

Re: Re Housing Question
Thu 4 Feb 2010 19:55

Great idea to get your doctor involved in this. He will be able to add strength to your case of you all moving in together.
Let your doctor know all the problems that your mum is having and how much it will be improved if you all move in together.
I would also mention something about the dreaded snow to both your doctor and your council because if you are living apart then with the bad weather you may not be able to get to your mum on certain days.
Good idea to see if you can see the CAB, they may be able to give you some assistance.

Good luck

Hal

By PeachyMummy

Re: Re Housing Question
Thu 4 Feb 2010 20:02

With regards to the snow lol i currently live over the road from her but i cant be there all the time she has had many falls in the past few weeks a few involving the stairs.. Thats the problem well one of them.

Do you think that could affect the case? the fact she lives over the road.. I hopefully am thinking if the council can rehouse us then they will get two houses for an exchange of one..?

By hal

Re: Re Housing Question
Thu 4 Feb 2010 20:25

Hi Tracey

Its good that she lives over the road but as you say that you are unable to be with her all the time because you have things to do with your 2 young children.
It would be good for the council to exchange your 2 houses for a 4 bedroomed house as they will then be able to rehouse 2 families who may need a home.
What I would do is before seeing your doctor is write all the problems that your mum has had then he will be able to put the case together for you. Also give the housing department the same information as to the problems that you are having with your mum then take things from there.
I should not think that you will have too many problems in getting a 4 bedroomed house with the circumstances that you are in.

Do you stop over at your mums anytime the odd night here and there when she is not good or do you have to leave her overnight. This could well be another reason for them rehousing you and your family.

Good luck. I know that you will get there.

By PeachyMummy

Re: Re Housing Question
Thu 4 Feb 2010 22:56

No i cant stay with her having the girls who are constantly needing attention (my fault for molly coddling them) theres always a drama between them lol

My Eldest stays with her occasionally When shes feeling okay Which she loves staying with her nana. And shes only over the road if any of them need me.. But Its not the same as being in the same house when she needs someone to talk to or some help organizing the very many tablets she takes..

I have been told to get a social worker for her what exactly can or do they do? x

By meg mackenzie

Re: Re Housing Question
Fri 5 Feb 2010 18:53

Social worker can arrange a carers assessment for you, an emergency care plan set up for your mum for an emergency and bully the council into giving you suitable co-habit housing.

We moved back to the family home to care for my parents but after mum died and OH diagnosed with cancer the housing association wouldn`t guarantee to transfer the house to my name should the worst happen, so dad was rehoused into sheltered housing and we were given a ground floor flat, both from the council.

Only downside I could see is if council rehouse you into four bedrooms and your mum dies would they expect you to downsize to suit your new family needs? I had asked our council to move us plus dad into a three bedroomed bungalow, and that was their arguement against it.

Good luck

Take care
Meg