Our client presented to us as she was suspended from social housing support as she was evicted from her Council home on the basis of rent arrears in 2014. There was also an issue with abandonment.
The Case
Our client was a tenant in a local authority house and had experienced anti-social behaviour from neighbours in the area. She had also experienced a traumatic assault. She was not eligible for a transfer due to arrears of rent. In 2012, this lady felt compelled to move out of the property to a refuge as she feared for her own safety and for the safety of her children. Our client and her children have been homeless since, staying intermittently in a refuge or with family members.
During this time, a Notice to Quit was issued which resulted in repossession by warrant which was executed in 2014. However our client had left the property in 2012. Our client acknowledged that substantial arrears of rent had accrued with respect of her tenancy and she set up a repayment plan.
MLRC made representations on behalf our client together with the support of social workers, the client’s GP and key workers etc and advocated on our client’s behalf as to why our client should be granted a Need for Assistance Letter. The local authority considered our legal submissions and recognised that clearly our client and her children were homeless for a prolonged period of time and subsequently provided our client with a Need for Assistance Letter which will allow our client to access rent supplement.
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