East London woman experiencing domestic abuse asks council to move her – it took 14 months

Waltham Forest Council has apologized to a mom after she suffered abuse. They failed her, making her wait 14 months for relocation. She told them she felt unsafe at home and urgently needed temporary housing.

Her attacker knew her address, even though he didn’t live with her. The council, aware of her urgent need for help, failed to offer housing for months. The Housing Ombudsman subsequently issued a report on the situation.

She declined the housing offered because it needed major repairs, which the council should have checked beforehand. The Ombudsman determined this was the council’s fault, suggesting they should have instead paid for her to stay in a hotel room.

Although housing is scarce in the borough, the council still has an obligation to house certain individuals. In looking at their housing supply, she found two flats for private rent, and the council offered their assistance.

The council said they would pay the deposit and first rent, and both flats were affordable. Unfortunately, other people rented them instead because her requests took too long to process, causing her to lose both opportunities.

The Ombudsman acknowledged property rental factors, saying we cannot know if she would have secured them. He suggested service improvements, highlighting that delays can cause injustice to others, as processing takes too long.

The council must now pay her £3,050 to cover the 14 months she remained at her home. She also was not informed of her option to bid for homes. Deputy Leader Ahsan Khan admitted the council “did not meet her expectations.”

Khan stated that everyone deserves to feel safe, acknowledging the difficulty of domestic abuse situations and stating their teams are dedicated to helping people at risk. He said the council is sorry for the bad service and knows they failed to meet her needs.

The council has taken action on the Ombudsman’s suggestions, including paying her the required compensation. They will also help her find suitable housing and expedite the private rental process.

They will also improve communication to ensure important information is shared faster. They must do better considering last year, the council received £18,800 in fines for maladministration in three other cases.

Those cases involved issues such as damp, mould, and antisocial behavior. Michael Gove called the council’s handling “unacceptable,” emphasizing that their performance fell below expected standards and residents expect more.