Housing applications backlog at city council
HUNDREDS of families desperate for houses are having to wait up to six weeks before a council can help them.
Derby City Council said that at the last count there were 891 applications to its Homefinder system waiting to be processed.
The system assesses whether people qualify to go on to the council's waiting list, and judges how crucial their need is. The waiting list currently stands at about 10,000.
The council has a target of 28 days to register applications to get on to the waiting list, but Councillor Bob Troup, cabinet member for housing and public protection, said applications were on average taking six weeks to process.
He said: "We are offering staff overtime to try to clear the backlog. There has been a small increase in the number of applications we are receiving because of the economic problems as well."
But the team in charge of housing said the main reason for the backlog was the restructuring of the department which deals with applications.
It led to staff vacancies and temporary staff being brought in who were not up to speed with the system.
Lisa Callow, housing options manager at the council, said: "There has been an ongoing issue in terms of resources and we have been using lots of temporary staff while a restructuring review was carried out who were not up to speed straight away."
Each month, the housing options department gets about 450 to 500 detailed housing applications which have to be processed. Those which are urgent, such as for people on the brink of homelessness, are pushed to the top of the pile.
One of those applicants who is still waiting to be registered on the system, is Lisa Palin, who is due to give birth to her first child in five weeks.
The 23-year-old currently lives in a one-bedroom flat with her partner, Lee Gibson, 44, in Brindley Court, Allenton.
Mr Gibson is a bricklayer by trade but is currently unemployed. Miss Palin was a barmaid before going on maternity leave.
She said: "I live on the fourth floor at the moment and it is really difficult just being pregnant. It will be a nightmare once I have the baby.
"We just want a more suitable home. It's not like we want something for nothing, we want to pay our way, pay our rent and council tax, it's just we can't afford to rent privately."
She handed her application to Allenton's housing office on May 8 and it was received by the housing options centre to be processed on May 11 but it was not registered on the Homefinder system.
Miss Palin said: "I heard nothing back from them and now I find out I hadn't even been registered. I only have five weeks until I'm due to give birth and I had wanted to find a property as soon as possible."
Her ward councillor, Paul Bayliss, said he was not satisfied with the council's explanation for the backlog.
"The excuses are pretty poor. With the credit crunch, the demand for social housing is going to increase and you would have thought the department would have been staffed accordingly.
"It is not like this extra demand could not have been foreseen."
6 Comments
by Spock, Derby
Tuesday, June 30 2009, 1:22PM
“Angela. How is your maths? 2% v 98%. Which is the greater? Hence me qualifying my comment with " far more likely than not that it was not being used". My suggestion, by your own admission is 49 times more likely! Often in your posts on many stories you highlight the unlikely elements and run with them as the most likely scenario. The majority of what you said COULD be true, but it's all hypothesis, as is mine, I merely go with the most likely option. If you re-read my original post you would see that I said 'people in similar situations', ergo, I was talking generally. It may help you to read what people post in detail and maybe a shade slower before trying to question it. Thank you.”
by angela, Derby
Tuesday, June 30 2009, 12:29PM
“Spock,
Just a small point, I didn't miss, forget, anything regarding my pill, It is still only 98% nothing is 100% unless it's to abstain, my son is 33.
Ms Palin is currently on maternity leave, and possibly receiving maternity allowance, by that I would assume she will be returning to work. Just because her partner is out of work at the moment doesn't automatically mean he intends to stay that way. I realise the building trade is in a slump, my neighbour is also a bricklayer and struggling to find work, but no doubts prefers working to trying to manage on jobseekers rates. Why slate the couple, if it wasn't highlighting the councils inadequacies I doubt if anyone would be aware of their lives. They should be looking forward to the birth of their child, not embroilled in controversy.”
by Spock, Derby
Tuesday, June 30 2009, 11:36AM
“Hear, hear Tom! Angela - given the success rate of modern contraception it is far more likely than not that it was not being used - either due to wanting a child or out of stupidity. I find it increasingly selfish that people in similar situations seem to think more about their desire to have a child, rather than the situation they are bringing that child into. On top of that, it is highliy likely that it is another child that will be supported by the tax-payer. Mant people shout about their 'right' to have a baby. What about the tax-payers' rights in having a choice whether in whether to support this increasing burden?”
by angela, Derby
Tuesday, June 30 2009, 10:53AM
“Tom,
That seems harsh, it may be any number of reasons, they may have chosen to start a family, the pill may have failed, as it did for me, condoms split, but whatever reason, it is their choice and if asylum seekers can be housed it is surely reasonable to assume that having worked and paid tax etc they are entitled to housing that is more suitable than a 4th floor flat, that the council can't get its act together is hardly the fault of this young woman and her partner, why should they penalised for it.”
by Tom, Sinfin
Tuesday, June 30 2009, 9:44AM
“Perhaps Miss Gibson should have considered the situation before becoming pregnant.”
by British tenant, Derby
Tuesday, June 30 2009, 9:00AM
“It is no wonder it is taking so long and to the detriment of those on the waiting list for many years. As a single person, I am not entitled to house, and rightly so, however I will be unlikely to get a council flat even though I have been on the council list for 7 years as they consider I am adequately housed, in a bedsit!! I visit the council weekly to apply for flats on the homefinder scheme, and see migrants picking up keys for flats, houses etc, am I angry?, yes, can I do anything? no, I can see them offering me a flat as I am lowered into the ground!!!!!!”