SOON TO BE HOMELESS

A mother-of-two is to be served a possession notice forcing her out of the home she was told by the council to 'squat' in. The lease on Miss Stone's home in Stenson Avenue, Sunnyhill, expired, but because of a council housing shortage, she has nowhere to go. Instead the council advised Miss Stone to stay put until the private landlord took legal action against her. The 31-year-old had intended to leave the house, and camp in a friend's garden but has now changed her mind, having realised this action may lead to her becoming 'intentionally homeless' and therefore not eligible for council accommodation in the future.

She said, "I feel as though I have been beaten by the system and now we are only delaying the inevitable. We very reluctantly surrendered, and followed the council's advice. I rang the housing agency and told them I would be staying in the property. They told me the possession order would take about 28 days to obtain. In the meantime I am left living out of suitcases and boxes. The trauma of it all has just made me feel really numb and the house does not feel like my home any more." Her two children are also starting to feel the stress of not knowing where they will be living by the end of the month.

Miss Stone says she feels as though she is in a no-win situation. If she follows the council's advice, she fears it may seriously jeopardise her chances of getting accommodation when she is back on her feet. She said, "I have been a good tenant, but now I doubt I will get a reference nor be accepted for a mortgage. Worst of all, I have destroyed my good relationship with Professional Properties which manages the house." The landlord for the property, who will have to obtain the possession order, is believed to be living abroad.

Letting agency Professional Properties said it had been advised by its insurers not to comment. Derby City Council said Miss Stone would not be making herself intentionally homeless if she moved out of the property. A council spokesman said, "While she is registered homeless she cannot be made intentionally homeless even if she does move into temporary accommodation. Miss Stone's case remains high priority." The council would only say yesterday that it was "trying to help" Miss Stone.

In response to the latest comment, Miss Stone said, "It is brilliant news that they are making mine a high priority case. But at the end of the day I will still be served with a legal possession notice if I stay. And if I move out my family, I will still be living in temporary accommodation because of this council housing shortage."

Miss Stone received a possession notice, but said she has been forced to stay in the house to avoid making herself "intentionally homeless". She has now lodged an appeal with the county court asking to stay in the house on the grounds of her children's welfare. But if she loses the cases she faces eviction. Miss Stone says she has used the council's Homefinder website to find a new property every week for a month, but without success. The number of homeless cases in the city is around 400, but there are only 37 council-owned properties available.

She said, "The threat of being on the streets is more real to me now than ever, because I guess I know I'm going to have to move out. I've been beaten by the system. I've lodged an appeal for the sake of my two children. They're sleeping on mattresses on the floor because all of our belongings, including their beds, are packed in boxes ready to move. We've been living out of suitcases for a month now, which is very unsettling for my children and has disrupted their schooling. I was advised the judge will normally find favour with the landlord and I'll be left with more court costs."

She says the council must now act to resolve the housing crisis. She said, "The situation is a disgrace. Something has gone wrong, but all the councillors are sticking up for each other instead of addressing the problem." Derby Citizens Advice Bureau operations manager Mathew Allbones said, "Once a possession notice has been received there is the chance to appeal and have a hearing at the county court. The judge can grant up to 28 days before setting a date for eviction. But after that date the bailiffs are free to go in and remove the occupants."

Derby City Council is set to buy the former Derby Chest Clinic, in Green Lane, and convert it into a £1.75m shelter for homeless people. The centre would contain about 30 beds in either single rooms or self-contained flats and would provide training and support services designed to get homeless residents "back on track". It would replace Derby's night shelter in Boyer Street, which has 14 dormitory beds for both men and women.

The project is being funded with a £750,000 Government hostels grant, £500,000 of Government regeneration money and £500,000 from the council's own budget designated to low-cost housing schemes. Once terms are agreed, the building would be leased to Derbyshire Housing Aid, a registered charity based in Curzon Street, which offers support to homeless people. Residents living near the Green Lane site say they will do everything in their power to stop a homeless shelter being set up in their community. They claim it will bring anti-social behaviour to an area that has residential accommodation, businesses and two children's nurseries.

Sarah Hernandez, chief executive of the organisation, said that it would stringently monitor the project and there would be staff in the premises 24 hours a day. She added, "There will be full security and CCTV cameras and we'll be working closely with the police to make sure there are no problems. The longer-term effects of homelessness cost the public a lot of money." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)

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