Letter received from Nirmal Samrai Head of Housing Meres and Mosses Housing Association 23.12.11 – Letter dated 21.12.2011.
Dear Ms Horder-Mason
Thank you for meeting with Sue Perry and myself yesterday afternoon. During our visit I confirmed that it our intention to find out what your families re-housing requirements were and that the visit was to gather information so that we could assist and support you with your concerns.
During the meeting we discussed the following issue:-
1. You wish to be re-housed independently from your sons as they are now adults and able to look after themselves.
2. You explained that you no longer wished to live in Clunbury due to rural isolation. You confirmed that you would be willing to broaden your areas of choice. You confirmed that wherever you lived you would still be required to drive your sons to work in Clun which is approximately 5 miles from your current home.
3. We discussed the scooter scheme and your son Daniel stated that this scheme was no longer in existence and that your two sons were unable to get to work by any other means. I have done some further investigation and established that here is a Wheels to Work Scheme run by the The Community Council of Shropshire. I attach further details at the end of the letter.
4. We talked about trying to find alternative accommodation for your sons nearer to Clun where they worked. Youn confirmed that they had a look at privately renting and that it was very expensive at over £400 per month for a two bedroom property (This works out at £46.51 each per week, if 2 of your sons share the flat.) You also confirmed that you had a discussion with someone at the Council who confirmed that they would be able to assist with a rent deposit scheme.
5. I looked around the property internally and externally and we talked about you moving your single bed to the lounge as in my opinion there was sufficient space and this would be a short term measure whilst we are in the process of attempting to resolve your concerns. You stated that you did not want to move your bed into the lounge as it was a family home and that your sons should be allowed to have their friends around. Daniel stated that his brothers often stay up until 4.00 am.
6. Daniel raised the issue of the car being parked in the Road – I confirmed that you can apply to the Council for permission to have a dropped kerb and a hard standing.
7. SWe talked about the fact that your current property is unsuitable for adaptations and I confirmed that I would discuss your situation with our Asset Management Team with a view to possible getting an independent Occupational Health Assessment. You stated that you did not wish to remain living with your sons as they were adults and that you want to live independently.
8. Sue and I advised you to register with HomeSwapper as there may be options available to you through this scheme. Sue gave Daniel the details on how to log on to the webpage.
9. Your main concern is for your sons to be able to continue with their employment. I explained that we did have 3 bedroom maisonettes available in Ludlow and that perhaps your sons could consider this as an option.
10. We confirmed that South Shropshire Housing Association did not have any suitable accommodation for your sons in Clun and that the most appropriate option would be for your sons to investigate private rented properties.
I am concerned that you have chosen to sleep in the outhouse in order for your sons to have a bedroom each. Having visited your home I believe that your property is larger than the majority of our other properties and it is reasonable for me to suggest as a short-term solution that you sleep in the lounge if you are unable to manage the stairs safely.
We have now registered your application and you are in priority banding for a 2 bedroom ground floor wheel chair accessible property. We have also registered your sons’ joint applications. Please confirm if Daniel will be moving with you or with his brothers. I explained that we would not assign the tenancy to your sons as your are requesting a transfer to another property and your tenancy follows you. If you are re-housed before your sons then we would charge them a daily ‘use in occupation charge’ whilst we sought possession of the property and we would refer them to Shropshire Council’s Housing Options Team with a view to finding them alternative accommodation.
As I am sure you will appreciate there is a very high demand for subsidised social housing in Shropshire. This precious resource has to be allocated to those in the greatest housing and personal need. If we chose to assign the tenancy of your large three bedroomed house in Clunbury to your three sons (or even to only two sons as I understand that Daniel will be residing with you as your carer) then this means that this house will not have gone through the normal allocation route, with priority being given to those in greatest housing need and greatest vulnerability. Whilst I can understand that in your view it is a very high priority to see your adult sons housed in social housing, I am afraid that there will be many others who would be seen as a higher priority from a strategic housing perspective such as families with young children living in temporary accommodation. Unfortunately there is a great shortage of social housing in the County, and generally young adults are expected to make their own arrangements, usually in the private sector. There is not statutory ‘right’ to housing for young and capable adults.
I am meeting with the Asset Management Team week beginning the 3rd January 2012 to discuss possible alternative aids or adaptations. Sue Perry has followed up the outstanding request to re-surface your front path.
I felt that Sue and I conducted ourselves in a friendly open manner we listened to your concerns we offered you solutions and advice. I am therefore surprised by your email to Sue criticising my conduct during my visit to your home.
In summary I believe we acted reasonably in trying to assist you to resolve your difficulties by support your own claim for rehousing and also advising your sons on the options open to them. There are difficult choices to be made here – for example:
1. Balancing your own personal health needs against your desire for each son to have their own bedroom and unrestricted us of a lounge. You have chosen to sleep in an outhouse as your solution to this dilemma, and it is not a choice we would recommend.
2. Balancing your sons’ need to travel to work in Clun with your need to widen your area of choice – so that you increase the chances of securing an adapted bungalow suitable for your needs quickly. You have chosen to limit your bids to the area immediately surrounding Clun so that you can continue to drive them to work as your solution to this dilemma.
3. Balancing your immediate need to be rehoused quickly for health reasons, with your sons desire to be housed in subsidised social housing. You have chosen to resolve this dilemma by effectively refusing to move until a Social Landlord rehouses your sons in a social housing home in Clun. Your decision to make this choice in particular will greately extend the amount of time that you wait to be rehoused, as we have extremely limited amounts of stock in Clun,m and it is extremely unlikely that your sons will ever reach a sufficiently high level of priority for these homes, relative to other applicants in housing need.
I fully appreciate the difficulties that you face and I am very sympathetic to your circumstances. The reality is that, given the lack of social housing available in Shropshire against the considerable housing need, I am afraid that we are unable to improve our offer.
It is of course, your right t5o publicly discuss your situation, though I honestly do not believe that we will reach a more satisfactory resolution by having the matter highlighted on your blog or through the media. I hope this letter serves as reassurance that we do take your concerns seriously and are doing everything within our remit to help you as far as we possible can. My concern is that generating media interest will have more negative impacts on you and your family than it will on a social landlord going about its business in a reasonable and honest way. Any approach by yourself to the medial will, automatically, result in us being offered right of reply and in those circumstances we would be forced to the address the details of your situation and the choices you have made, to ensure a balanced account. I don’t believe anyone would benefit from this process. I hope very much that we can continue working constructively with you towards the best solution possible.
Yours sincerely
Nirmal Samrai
Head of Housing.
So I will continue to sleep in a shed because there is absolutely no way I am going to make my sons homeless.
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