If you have been offered accommodation by your local authority which you do not think is suitable for your needs, it is possible to challenge the suitability of accommodation, and you may be eligible for public funding to do so.
When you apply to your local authority as a homeless person, you may be offered temporary or emergency accommodation. You may be offered emergency accommodation while the local authority looks into your situation, or temporary accommodation while waiting for settled accommodation. You may then be offered settled accommodation, which is permanent.
If you are offered accommodation it is essential that you do not turn it down without first seeking legal advice. If you reject an offer of accommodation, this may discharge the authority’s responsibility towards you, preventing you from accessing accommodation from them in future.
Nonetheless, any accommodation offered to you must be suitable for your situation and needs. If you are accommodation which is not suitable, our specialist housing team at Oliver Fisher Solicitors is on hand to assist with you.
There are many factors which determine whether your accommodation is suitable, and there are limitations, particularly within London, in relation to what housing is available. In areas where there is a lot of demand for housing, it can be difficult to persuade the council that the accommodation is unsuitable.
Reasons why accommodation may be unsuitable include distance from work, medical facilities, education or your support network, the specifications of the property itself, and whether it is tailored to any specific needs of the residents in relation to disability or health conditions.
Here at Oliver Fisher Solicitors, we have a specialist team of housing solicitors ready to assist you with challenging the suitability of your accommodation. As a Legal Aid firm, we are often able to assist our clients free of charge, and where clients are not eligible for public funding, we can normally arrange a conditional fee agreement.
If you have been offered accommodation which you feel is unsuitable, contact us today on 0203 219 0145 or via advice@oliverfisher.co.uk.