Apology over failure to help homeless family

A homeless family has been awarded several hundred pounds in compensation, after a local authority failed to find them a suitable home.

Wolverhampton City Council was ordered to pay £1,300 to "Mr B" plus £200 per month until a home was found for him and his family.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found the authority was at fault after Mr B complained his family were being housed in unsuitable accommodation for an unreasonable amount of time.

The council apologised and said it would improve the way its homelessness service works in future.

Mr B and his family were placed in temporary accommodation after he made a homelessness application in September 2022, but he complained about anti-social behaviour from other tenants in the building and said his daughter required her own room for medical reasons.

The family was due to move into a three-bedroom property in December 2022, but it was found the property needed work and they were placed in a hotel in the meantime.

Once they moved in, they remained unhappy as the property was not big enough - something the council agreed with.

The ombudsman found Wolverhampton City Council was at fault after it did not remove the family from the property after recognising the issue.

"Once the council has agreed a property is unsuitable, it must move the family straight away," the watchdog's report said.

It added: "Mr B has been very clear that the impact this is having on his family is substantial."

A spokesperson for the council said it provided temporary accommodation for thousands of people each year.

They said "every effort" was made to ensure places were suitable whilst managing limited supply and high demand.

"We are sorry that the service fell below the usual standard in this case and both the council and Wolverhampton Homes will always follow actions outlined by the housing ombudsman," they said.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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