Mayday madness ….the update
So here it is i was all panicky wondering what was going on with my housing appliction and thinking that lewisham council MUST have made yet another mistake but im wrong yes the council are not at fault for a change. Obviously im saying that because it looks like what they have done may help me.
I went on the Lewisham homesearch site yesterday and it had changed my banding meaning that i can actually apply for properties big enough for my family, thinking they had made a mistake i kept checking in and it was still saying im band A, still though tomorrow they will correct it. But it seems they have updated their housing policy, which the lone ranger commented about (i think) here .
It says on the Homesearch site about overcrowding:-
Overcrowding
By amending the allocation policy we have changed how we measure overcrowding. As a result, some households will not be entitled to bid for larger properties. Under the previous allocation policy, households were entitled to an extra bedroom as soon as they confirmed they were pregnant. We will now only determine whether a household is entitled to an extra room on the birth of the child. If there are two children of opposite sex, they are expected to share a room up until one child reaches the age of 10 years old. We will continue to allow a separate bedroom for a child of the same sex from the age of 18.
Furthermore, households who are overcrowded by two bedrooms will now be placed in Band A. Previously, those households overcrowded by two bedrooms were in Band B. Where a household moves from Band B to Band A, they will retain the list date when they were awarded Band B status
To see the full statement go here .
My goodness! I do hope this augurs change for you.
About overcrowding policy – sharing a small room with your sibling until you are eighteeen (and beyond) – sure recipe for – well, not for harmony!
Susan Harwood
SHOUTING AT THE RADIO
“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.”
Proverbs 3:13
This really could now change our lives. I dont think people know what its like to dream about having a bedroom so you dont get dressed in the living room or having a garden so that your child with adhd doesnt just jump up and down the stairs.
I dont expect change straight away but but just knowing there is now more of a chance makes me feel much more positive.
Jonathan
I just have to say that I am in the exact same position as you Kate although I live in a 2 bedroom flat with my 4 children. I went to the Homesearch website and went through the same change and I thought that the a mistake had been made when I saw that my banding had also gone to band A. I know how depressing it feels when all you want is a garden and a bedroom that you can actually call a bedroom. I was also pleased to see that we will retain our list date so that we do not have to start all over again at the bottom of the pile of As. I hope that you get a move soon and by the way I live in Lewisham as well not far from you.
Good news, Kate. Good news indeed.
Thanks Andrew. It just means that now after all these years of waiting we might really stand a chance of getting out of where we are.
Collen , its great news for some of us….at last, if you wanna chat or anything i could email you ….let me know if thats ok.
Yeah thats fine to E mail me anytime. I have been silently following your posts for a while because I always find your thoughts very similar to my own and your housing situation is so the same. I just really hope that this change will be a positive change for us large families that were always having to bid for Downham houses which are too small for us. It will also mean that most people who are in Hostels will be offered properties rather than actually getting properties through bidding on the Homesearch. So I wonder if that means that people like us will stand a better chance of getting that house with the garden that we so long for? I know first hand that living in a flat is hell when you have active children and you have neighbours who kick up a stink about the noises that they make. But this change will hopefully be a good change but only time will tell.
Colleen , i will be in touch……we are obviously in a similar situation, i apply for downham but i would still have to sleep in the living room…only differance would be having a garden.
Good News
Thanks Cherry.