Better, alternative accommodation found for “stressed and depressed” tenant
CHAC Case study
Magda’s story
CHAC was approached by a Universal Credit (UC) work coach from Canterbury Job Centre with concerns about the housing conditions of a UC claimant called Magda.
Magda, a single woman who spoke little English, was stressed and depressed about the House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in which she was living. Magda tried to avoid going to her HMO, staying away from it for as long as she could.
Her work coach told us that Magda’s bed, a mattress on the floor, was infested with bedbugs and that the property was infested with rats. The fridge didn’t work properly and Magda’s food, which went off very quickly, was making her ill. The male tenants in the HMO disliked Magda as she was from a different EU country. They harassed her and pressurised her to have sex with them.
Magda was fearful of complaining about her living conditions to the Council’s Housing Standards section. She said the landlord was friendly with the other tenants and she was worried her life could be made even more miserable if she made a complaint. She had also been advised by a Council Housing Officer that the Council would not rehouse her if she were to make a homelessness application.
Magda was desperate to seek better, alternative accommodation, but finding affordable, private rented accommodation in the Canterbury district is extremely difficult for people on benefits. Landlords generally require one month’s rent as a deposit, one month’s rent in advance as well as a working and home owning guarantor.
How CHAC helped
CHAC told Magda’s work coach about a project in Canterbury called Canterbury Local Link (CLL) offering single rooms, at an affordable rent, to local people.
Magda was very interested so her work coach arranged a meeting with CHAC (and an online translator) at Canterbury Jobcentre. CHAC helped Magda complete a CLL application form and referred her to CLL. CLL agreed to interview Magda and her work coach at the Jobcentre.
The outcome
Magda has now been offered an assured shorthold tenancy of a single room in a shared house by CLL. However, Magda wanted to view a couple of the shared houses before accepting as she was worried about sharing. If she decides to accept CLL’s offer she will be moving in without having to pay any rent in advance or deposit and her rent of £135 every week will be paid in full by her UC housing costs.