Need advice please - Cork County Council housing

pringles_30

So i am only on the cork county council list a few months but im just wondering how long do u be waiting, i am a single mother with 2 kids paying 600 rent a month without rent allowance because landlord wont accept it, i cant afford to move the heating in the house dont work its always cold and lots other problems which i stated on the forms from the council..
i understand there is alot of people waiting on the lists ahead of me but im starting to fall in arrears with rent cos i cant seem to afford it..

anyone know anything could it be 3 years or 5 years some eole have told me that because if that is the case by then i probs be homeless

thanks in advance

gemini_girl

I was on the list 3 years & then there was a review & after 6 months we were taken off the list. We have appealed which was also refused so then we reappealed to head person in Oct & no decision is made yet. Its almost 4 yrs since we first applied. In my experience dealing with cork co co can take a very long time. We also had no rent allowance, 2 kids & both lost jobs. The reason we were taken off is that we had money 7 years ago that we shouldve kept to help house ourselves. Ive no idea what we will do if our appeal is refused again as we are renting privately so no hope of saving 20k to buy a house for deposit should either of us find a job. Please feel free to pm me

Mrs OBumble

Contact the homeless support agencies in your area - it sounds like you're currently at risk of being homeless, so it's their job to help you. They may have some suggestions.

Also, try contacting the voluntary housing agencies in the area (likely to include Respond. Clúíd ... maybe others) on the off-chance that they might have something. Technically they take their referrals from the top of the council list, but sometimes something can be "arranged" ... it won't hurt to ask.

Also, try contacting Vincent de Paul for suggestions / help. Again, sometimes there are strings that can be pulled.

fussyonion

If you are at risk of being made homeless, I would contact the council and tell them and if it appeals to you, ask them can you go on the RAS scheme.

The council are more willing to allow people to go on that because they want people off the Housing List.
I'm not saying you should definitely do it; there are cons to it, i.e you will be removed from the Housing List, but you would be able to find your own home for a long term lease and have the council paying the Landlord 90% of the market rate, and you'd pay 10% of your income to the council.

It's not a scheme designed to please everyone but a lot of people like it because the alternative is to wait years and years on the List.

Amelia1402

Hey all need a bit of advice. My sister her 2 kids her partner are currently staying in my spare room in a house as there are no houses at all to rent in the rural area we live in. If one comes up then the landlord refuses to accept rent allowance, I've myself rang up a few landlords and asked if they will accept and offered to go guaranteur but they have all refused.
My sisters partner has joint custody of his teenage daughter who comes and stays on weekend and holidays.
They are on the county council list but a house has come up in he area and basically a couple who are getting rent allowance and live happy in their 3 bed house have been told off the record they are going to get this house.they have 1 child my sister and partner have 3 between them. I don't understand how this couple can get the house over my sister and family. They are sharing one bedroom in my house and her partner actually sleeps in a blow up bed in sitting room.
It's such a terrible situation but does this not constitute and needing accommodation more than the couple who are getting rent allowance in their property.
I don't begrudge this couple getting a council house but my sister and family have been on the list around the same time, we know the couple well as its a small town and everyone knows everyone, can anyone give me advice on what I can do. I've been to the local councillor and asked for help but all he did was send a letter on my sisters behalf to councty council.

Any advice is welcomed

hdowney

Honestly it sounds you do begrudge this family. As much as you might think you know them you can bet you do not have the full details of their circumstances. How can you be sure they went on the list the same time as your sister? How do you know they are comfortable in their house, they could be struggling with the rent/be in arrears etc. You also are not privy to the councils grading/weighting of different applications for council housing and therefore do not know why, in the councils eyes, their family are placed above your sisters.

I am sorry you are all in this struggle, but your sister is lucky to have you and a roof over her head. She is not homeless. I know the other family isn't either, but unless she becomes homeless the council are unlikely to re-assess her as in more need than they already have.

Amelia1402

hdowney wrote: »

Honestly it sounds you do begrudge this family. As much as you might think you know them you can bet you do not have the full details of their circumstances. How can you be sure they went on the list the same time as your sister? How do you know they are comfortable in their house, they could be struggling with the rent/be in arrears etc. You also are not privy to the councils grading/weighting of different applications for council housing and therefore do not know why, in the councils eyes, their family are placed above your sisters.

I am sorry you are all in this struggle, but your sister is lucky to have you and a roof over her head. She is not homeless. I know the other family isn't either, but unless she becomes homeless the council are unlikely to re-assess her as in more need than they already have.

Oh god do u really think I am begrudging this family? I'm not going into details how I know this family may not be struggling. Having a 131 car outside their house and a van I can start a whole dif other thread here. I am living in a council house myself with my family. I have them staying here cos they will be homeless, so shall I just tell them they have to leave and let a 3 month old sleep in a car or in a hostel where it's well known they house families that have nowhere to go is where they house heroin addicts and alcoholics too.. I came on this for advice not to be accused of bein begrudging....
If u don't have anything helpful to say pls don't reply.

Gatling

Amelia1402 wrote: »

Oh god do u really think I am begrudging this family? I'm not going into details how I know this family may not be struggling. Having a 131 car outside their house and a van I can start a whole dif other thread here. I am living in a council house myself with my family. I have them staying here cos they will be homeless, so shall I just tell them they have to leave and let a 3 month old sleep in a car or in a hostel where it's well known they house families that have nowhere to go is where they house heroin addicts and alcoholics too.. I came on this for advice not to be accused of bein begrudging....
If u don't have anything helpful to say pls don't reply.

Your housed off needs and time on the list's we currently have 90,000+ on the housing lists around the country .
I'd be a bit more practical when it comes to a teenager from another relationship if there is no position to take them then dad has to work around this .
Now this whole you only get sent to one place that has junkies and others is a misconception families would be housed separately most likely in a b & b or hotel depending on the situation.
How long are they waiting to be housed .
Either working

Amelia1402

Hi Gatling

They are waiting about 6 years.
There are families in area that have been bumped up the list but no problems there. They have genuinely needed housing more than my sister and others on list. Eg one girl had a daughter with cerebral palsy and this was their first child. And they got a house within a few months. Unfortunatly there is only the 1 large b&b that take emergency accomadation. And a family from another nearby town got robbed in the b&b by some junkies about 14 months ago. I don't want my nephews going into somewhere like that. It's heartbreaking. They don't drive so I know what option they would have than to go there if I ask them to leave

Gatling

Amelia1402 wrote: »

Hi Gatling

They are waiting about 6 years.
There are families in area that have been bumped up the list but no problems there. They have genuinely needed housing more than my sister and others on list. Eg one girl had a daughter with cerebral palsy and this was their first child. And they got a house within a few months. Unfortunatly there is only the 1 large b&b that take emergency accomadation. And a family from another nearby town got robbed in the b&b by some junkies about 14 months ago. I don't want my nephews going into somewhere like that. It's heartbreaking. They don't drive so I know what option they would have than to go there if I ask them to leave

It's a pretty difficult situation to be in for all concerned .
Some do get housed alot quicker due to medical needs and so on .
But I wouldn't take notice of somebody saying there getting housed next there's always people saying that .
I would suggest you's look at the situation with the teenager I know it sound's cruel but having an extra person on weekends isn't helping the situation , I'm sure it adds to an already stressful situation .
they could ask to have their situation re assessed with the council and widen there search too .

fussyonion

People with medical needs are on the priority list and are housed when a suitable property becomes available, but it still means a lengthy wait.
Your sister could be waiting for another few years; there's nothing she can do, only wait.
Has she thought about RAS?

Amelia1402

There is not 1 single house to rent as its a beach town so all houses are for holiday home rentals. They have been renting for the last 9 years but the only problem is that there isn't any house to rent in area. It's in Kerry and it seems the landlords are wary that they will get 400-600 per week rental during summer months so they don't want to rent it out to people for long term.

hdowney

Amelia1402 wrote: »

Oh god do u really think I am begrudging this family? I'm not going into details how I know this family may not be struggling. Having a 131 car outside their house and a van I can start a whole dif other thread here. I am living in a council house myself with my family. I have them staying here cos they will be homeless, so shall I just tell them they have to leave and let a 3 month old sleep in a car or in a hostel where it's well known they house families that have nowhere to go is where they house heroin addicts and alcoholics too.. I came on this for advice not to be accused of bein begrudging....
If u don't have anything helpful to say pls don't reply.

I said it sounds like you could be, not that you are. I was trying to be realistic and let you know that unfortunately despite your sisters need that there was likely still to be a lengthy wait. And that she is very lucky she has you to give her a roof over her head - meant in a good way.

As to telling me not to reply, it is an open forum and I have as much right to post as anyone.

I do hope your sister is lucky enough to get a house soon.

Do the council in your area have a lot of boarded up houses like they do in mine?

January

When the other people get their council house your sister could rent out the one they move out of. Get details of the landlord and contact him when it's official that the others are moving out.