A mother in North London was awarded over 7,000 for being in bed and breakfast accommodation with her three children for nearly 18 months after becoming homeless. Brent Council failed to provide adequate housing options, resulting in the family living in improper conditions for 75 weeks, exceeding the legal limit by 69 weeks. The family dealt with issues like shared facilities and inadequate gas supply. The council's compensation included payments for both exceeding the legal limit and additional distress suffered by the family during this prolonged stay.
The Local Government Ombudsman found that the family was living in bed and breakfast accommodation for a total of 75 weeks, far beyond the legal limit of 6 weeks.
Brent Council agreed to pay 6,900 for the weeks they were there over the limit, as well as an additional 350 for "distress and uncertainty" due to failures by the local authority.
The report concluded that the council failed to "properly explore alternative housing options," leading to the family's prolonged stay in emergency accommodation.
Miss B and her family experienced problems with the accommodation provider not keeping the gas topped up, which caused them "distress and inconvenience."
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