Saint Prix v SSWP Case C-507/12 must be one of the more obvious decisions of the CJEU in the sense that the outcome should have been apparent (although the rationale less so), but no less important because of that. The question on reference from the UKSC...
What’s the Din?*
In Haile v Waltham Forest LBC [2014] EWCA Civ 792, the question for the Court of Appeal was the relevant date for determining whether an applicant is intentionally homeless. On the facts, this was a significant question: Ms Haile had left her room in a...
Not a Good Idea
One to be filed under 'Do not do this, ever'. R (Grimshaw) v LB Southwark [2013] EWHC 4504 (Admin) [Not on Bailii, I've seen a transcript] This started out well enough, as a judicial review claim of Southwark's decision to terminate temporary accommodation....
Not adding up
As the number of people becoming homeless from private sector accommodation continues to rise, and as private sector accommodation is used for discharge of duty and temporary accommodation by Councils, the issue of affordability becomes more and more...
Let’s all talk about Wales
We don't often publicise events here, but given that this one involves at least couple of the NL team, we are damn well going to. Housing Law: The Welsh Devolution Effect 1st May 2014 Cardiff Law School, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX A one day...
I don’t like reg.8, no no… I love it
Mohamoud v Birmingham CC [2014] EWCA Civ 227 As all of our readers doubtless know, the way that decision making in homelessness cases works is something like this: a first decision is made by someone on behalf of a local housing authority; if that is in the...
Discharge of duty by helping eviction.
This sounds like a rather odd case, noted on the Garden Court bulletin. It is a refusal to grant permission for Judicial Review of a Council's refusal to carry out a review of the method it had decided upon to discharge its full housing duty. Still with me?...
Deciding without a decision
R (on the application of PK) v Harrow LBC (2014) QBD Admin 30 January 2014 [Lawtel note, no transcript yet] This judicial review is possibly one for the 'what were they thinking?' pile. The Claimants were the children of M. The family was street homeless and...
Homeless Counties
A brief note on what I think was a homelessness s.204 appeal, but have only a local newspaper report to go on. The issue was the status of the review officer, and specifically, whether St Albans District Council had, as it purported to do, contracted out its...
No reason for reasons redux
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council v Khan [2014] EWCA Civ 41 A rather odd second appeal from a s.204 appeal decision. At issue was whether the Council's review officer should take into account "the homeless person's state of knowledge about the Council's...
Impossible Preference: Excluding the homeless from housing lists
R (Jakimaviciute) v LB Hammersmith and Fulham [2013] EWHC 4372 (Admin) [Not generally available yet. I've seen a transcript] This judicial review permission hearing raises very significant issues for post Localism Act Council allocation policies. The central...
HB and Exempt accommodation: unreasonably high rent
I admit that SS v Birmingham CC [2013] UKUT 418 (AAC) has been on my to do list for a while and that, possibly, the main reason for finding the time to write it up is because I'm on a two hour strike (#fairpayinHE). But, it is a really quite important case...