A Bilton woman has criticised the system Harrogate Borough Council uses to allocate housing.
Courtney Barrass has been on the waiting list for a council property since her private landlord gave her notice to leave in April.
Ms Barrass has a partner, an eight-week old daughter and dogs and believes her domestic situation may have counted against her.
She claimed she was aware of some single parents who had received a house much quicker and urged the council to “prioritise situations better”. She said:
“They really need to sit back and look at the system. Maybe take the single people out of their three-bed houses to open up more options for families.“I’m worried I’m going to be homeless. They don’t care about mental health or how situations will or already have affected us. We are just numbers on paperwork and it’s sickening.”
Ms Barrass alleged that when she first approached the council about going on its housing list a council worker told her that if she were evicted it would push her up the queue.
She stopped working while she was pregnant and she and her partner struggled to pay all their bills, so they didn’t pay any rent — only to then be told they were in rent arrears by the landlord and given notice to leave.
Because it did not have a home to move the family into, the council initially paid 75 per cent of the rent but this reduced to about 40 per cent when her baby arrived, she said.
The damp in Courtney’s flat in Bilton.
Ms Barrass said her landlord had been understanding about her situation but she didn’t know how long it would last, or how long she could wait for a council house.
“The council’s only interest seems to be trying to get me to stay in this house, which is full of damp and I cannot afford it.
“How many more times will I have to contact them and panic not knowing if I’ll get my rent paid next month? It’s a joke.”
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- Coronavirus has contributed to an uncertain economic climate, this could lead HBC to buy more social housing.
- An FOI has concluded Harrogate currently has over 1,000 empty homes.
A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said it was unable to offer a specific comment about Ms Barrass’ situation. The spokesperson added:
“Properties are allocated via a points system, reflecting housing need. Applicants with arrears may be deemed as not qualifying for social housing, or may be deferred for period of time.
“We urge anyone who finds themselves in challenging circumstances to contact our housing options team as soon as possible. Anyone who finds themselves at risk of losing their home altogether should contact us sooner rather than later.”