There were lots of good intentions behind the SI making clear that 16/17 year olds are in priority need (The Homelessness (Priority Need for Accommodation) (England) Order 2002 (SI 2002 /2051)). But as a few have pointed out in recent years, there might...
Ahmad: Wednesday
Just to let you know that the HL are handing down judgment on Wednesday in R (Ahmad) v Newham LBC, the Part VI allocations case. We reported the CA decision here. A lot's riding on this case - the first time the HL have considered Part VI - and the rumours...
Who wants to know?
A very odd case was noted on Lawtel this morning - AB v Leicester City Council, Court of Appeal, 19.2.09. ([2009] EWCA Civ 192) AB had applied under Part 7, Housing Act 1996, to Leicester City Council ("Leicester") for assistance as a homeless person. It...
Housing waiting lists in Parliament
Yesterday the House of Commons debated a Conservative Party motion on housing waiting lists: That this House notes that social housing waiting lists have increased to a record 1.8 million families, over 4.5 million people, over the last 12 months; recognises...
Nelsonian ignorance
Iyekekpolor Ugiagbe is a dream appellant - or, rather, an appellant whose homelessness story is a dream for a neo-liberal Court of Appeal who allowed her appeal against Southwark's finding that she was intentionally homeless (Ugiagbe v Southwark LBC, [2009]...
We're not in Sparta any more.
The House of Lords Opinions in Holmes-Moorhouse v LB Richmond upon Thames [2009] UKHL 7 were handed down today. This concerned whether a shared residence order under s.8 Children Act 1989 meant that a child was 'reasonably expected' to be resident with both...
Applying under Part VII via Part VI
This is another decision of the Welsh Ombudsman, again concerning Conwy Council. Case 200702044 - Conwy County Borough Council. I don't propose to go into detail on the specifics of this matter - which principally concerned delay and muddle in dealing with...
Allocations/Homelessness
Alam v LB Tower Hamlets[2009] EWHC 44 (Admin) is one of those interesting cases that you get in allocations - well, interesting because a council like LB Tower Hamlets should probably know better than to have an obscure clause in its allocations scheme which...
In passing…
A couple of quick notes from the HLPA meeting this evening. Aweys v Birmingham is listed for the Lords next week (homeless at home and allocation policy differences in priority between homeless at home and those with no accommodation available, as if you...
Homelessness – when unitary authorities aren't.
R (Hassan) v Croydon LBC (Admin Court 13 January 2009. Only reported so far in Arden Chambers eflash 336) was a judicial review on the discretion to secure accommodation pending s.202 review under s.188(3) HA 1996 and whether a potential duty under s.20...
Homelessness collaboration agreement
Out of Leeds comes an interesting story (picked up via Shelter's Roof blog) about an agreement between the Local Authority, two Citizens Advice Bureaux and Shelter's West Yorkshire Advice Service. Leeds City Council has signed an agreement with the CABs and...
Scotland's homelessness advance warning system
News of a change from over the border. From 1st April landlords will have to notify the local authority in a standard form when they raise proceedings for possession. This will give effect to s. 11 of the Homelessness etc (Scotland) Act 2003. Notice can...