London Borough of Enfield v A (2025) EWCA Civ 1355 This was a second appeal from a s.204 Housing Act 1996 appeal of the suitability of temporary accommodation. The appeal was by LB Enfield, Ms A having been successful on first appeal. The issues were i)...
Unsuitability and a mandatory order
Hammad, R (on the application of) v Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (2025) EWHC 2425 (Admin) This was a judicial review of RBKC's failure to provide suitable accommodation under s.193 Housing Act 1996 to Mr H and his household. By the time of the...
Suitability and housing needs assessments again
Fatolahzadeh v London Borough of Barnet (Rev1) (2025) EWCA Civ 1174 A further Court of Appeal decision on whether an alleged failure to carry out a housing needs assessment under s.189A Housing Act 1996 of a homeless applicant invalidates subsequent...
The importance of being adequate – Housing Needs Assessments
AN, R (On the Application Of) v London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (2025) EWHC 2265 (Admin) This was a judicial review of i) Barking's alleged failure to produce a lawful Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) as required by section 18(A Housing Act 1996, and...
A database, homelessness duties and claimed indirect discrimination
Anisa Begum v London Borough of Tower Hamlets (2025) EWCA Civ 1049 We saw this judicial review claim in the High Court here. The claim was dismissed and Ms Begum appealed to the Court of Appeal. Shelter was given permission to intervene. The issue was...
Missing documents and inadequate reasons – A ‘suitability’ s.204 appeal.
Our grateful thanks to Frank Bowmaker, pupil barrister at One Pump Court Chambers, for the following note of a section 204 appeal of a suitability review decision, on the issue of documents missing from the housing file, and the review not dealing with...
Addressing unsuitability and mandatory orders
R (ex parte AIN) v London Borough of Tower Hamlets. High Court (Admin) 29 April 2025 (Unreported elsewhere. We have a full note of judgment (unapproved) from the claimant's solicitors, Osbornes Law, for which we are grateful). It is interesting in its...
Quashing or varying a review decision – Unsuitable accommodation
Mohamed v LB Hounslow. Central London County Court. 28 April 2025 (Unreported. A copy of the judgment is here.) Our thanks to Will Ford of Osbornes Law and counsel Daniel Clarke for letting us know about this section 204 appeal of a review of suitability of...
Refusal of offers and the end of homeless duties
Socrattes Ofori-Addo v London Borough of Haringey (2025) EWCA Civ 277 A second appeal from a section 204 appeal. Ms O-A had applied to Haringey as homeless and was in temporary accommodation under the section 189B Housing Act 1996 relief duty. An offer of a...
Unsuitable temporary accommodation and discrimination
Begum, R (On the Application Of) v London Borough of Tower Hamlets (2024) EWHC 2279 (Admin A brief note on this judicial review - brief in part because I'm not sure I actually grasp part of the challenge. Ms Begum had applied as homeless to Tower Hamlets in...
Suitable accommodation under section 190 Housing Act 1996
ZRR, R (On the Application Of) v London Borough of Bexley (2024) EWHC 2073 (Admin) This was a judicial review of Bexley's contention that temporary accommodation offered to ZRR under s.190 Housing Act 1996 was suitable and its duty was discharged when ZRR...
Housing Need Assessments and Suitability – Getting it wrong. Again.
UO v London Borough of Redbridge (2024) EWHC 1989 (Admin) We first saw UO and Redbridge in this judicial review of an unlawful housing needs assessment (HNA) and suitability decision. That decision was, to say the least, scathing about Redbridge's decision...