As has been reported here and here, Westminster City Council have decided to adopt various new housing policies. In particular, there are new proposed policies on temporary accommodation and permanent accommodation offers for homeless households. The...
To me – To you
Royal Borough of Kensington And Chelsea, R (On the Application Of) v London Borough Of Ealing (2017) EWHC 24 (Admin) A judicial review in which two local authorities fought over which of them was gong to have to owe a housing duty to a homeless applicant....
We’re going to need another canto – 2016 roundup
"We to the place have come, where I have told thee Thou shalt behold the people dolorous Who have foregone the good of intellect." (canto 3) Midway between Christmas and new year, I found myself, fat and indolent, on the sofa, contemplating a year-end post....
Nearly a passage to India
Thanks to Garden Court and Justine Compton for their note of this case. CM v Westminster CC. County Court at Central London. 1 December 2016 This was a s.204 appeal of Westminster CC's decision, upheld on review, that Ms CM had accommodation available to...
Begging and questions
First the begging - or at least a request - though not on our own behalf. As you all know, the NL team all work on the blog for free. We do it because we all really enjoy reading, writing and thinking about housing law and we’re grateful (and still a bit...
Known unknowns – Considering disability in homelessness
Birmingham City Council v Wilson [2016] EWCA Civ 1137 In Pieretti v Enfield LBC [2010] EWCA Civ 1104 (our note) the Court of Appeal held that under (the predecessor to) the Equality Act, in the course of Housing Act 1997 Part VII inquiries, a reviewing...
Odds and Ends
Assorted updates. Right to Rent - the new criminal offence. The Immigration Act 2016 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2016 have been made and come into force on 1 December. The draft DCLG Guidance for the courts on the defence of...
New facts, ex-marriages and homeless applications
Abdulrahman, R (on the application of) v The London Borough of Hillingdon [2016] EWHC 2647 (Admin) This was judicial review of Hillingdon's refusal to accept a homeless application from Ms A. Ms A and her then husband had made a joint homeless application...
Homeless Reduction Bill – part 2
After my rantette about clause 1 of the Homeless Reduction Bill as published for second reading, it is time to turn to the substance of the Bill in terms of new duties and so on. And, some drafting issues aside, these are broadly positive. But first, I...
Reducing the Homelessness Reduction Bill. Part 1
Monday's big news was the Govt announcement that it will support the Homelessness Reduction Bill - Bob Blackman MP's private members bill, due for second reading on 28 October. But exactly what is it that the Govt is supporting? The first draft of the Bill,...
Time, distance & suitability
Begum v Tower Hamlets LBC. County Court at Central London. 1 December 2015 Thanks to the Housing: Recent Developments in the September 2016 edition of Legal Action for the note of this case. This was a s.204 appeal of a s.202 review of suitability of...
Homeless eligibility amends and deposit discretions
The Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 have (finally) been made to come into force on 30 October 2016. These sort out the anomaly highlighted in Romans v Southwark LBC and SSDCLG and Alabi v SSDCLG...