OAP could end up on streets, family fears

The 71-yar-old, who wishes to remain anonymous, narrowly avoided being turfed out by bailiffs today after Brighton and Hove Council intervened to extend his eviction date by 10 weeks.

The pensioner had refused emergency accommodation on the advice of his family and GP, who say his memory issues would deteriorate if he were to be placed outside the local area.

Refusal of emergency accommodation would have ended the council’s duty to help house him, and with his family unable to house or care for him he would have been left on the street.

His landlord, who wants to sell up, issued a no-fault Section 21 notice in June.

The pensioner, who has mobility issues, chronic lung disease, diabetes, and cognitive impairment with memory loss, qualifies for council help and has been waiting for the council to house him since they received his eviction paperwork in June.

Joanne Colwell, a family member of the man said: “We’ve spoken to the council about emergency accommodation but we have refused that based on medical grounds, and the fact that it would be more confusing for him.

“We think it’s an unsafe option because we’ve been advised by the GP that you need to stay within a local area to avoid exacerbating these memory loss and confusion symptoms even further.

“We asked the council officers how they would feel if it was their relative that was in this position and the council failed their duty of care to get him housed prior to the eviction date, or at least prevent the eviction from happening?

“This is what they need to understand. They see these vulnerable people as statistics. They’re not, they’re human beings.

“It’s okay for the council to say we need to accept any offer, but when that offer makes the person even more vulnerable, and clearly unsafe, we cannot be forced into accepting emergency accommodation, because those facilities are not suitable for him.

“There’s no excuse for failing in their duty of care.

“The amount of people taking their own lives in emergency accommodation, because people are not happy – I’m taking those statistics into consideration when making this informed decision regarding him not accepting accommodation.

“If the eviction does go ahead, there’ll be people there. We are going to actually actively be outside.”

The man lives in Marlborough Court, on The Drive in Hove and has been privately renting there since 2020.

The latest update from BHCC they have received is that a home visit is needed, but with three days before the eviction is due to happen, Ms Colwell says this is unnecessary bureaucracy.

Advice from the Brighton Housing Trust confirmed that the man legally has no defence against the Section 21 order, but does qualify for a priority status on the council’s housing list.

Brighton Housing Coalition have called for people to be outside the man’s home on Thursday to take a stand against the eviction.

Daniel Harris, co-founder of Brighton Housing Coalition, said: “There are empty sheltered accommodation places, and it is very sad it’s got to the last few days before a bailiff enforced eviction to make a stand.

“We will not allow an eviction to take place as it stands now. He must be placed in suitable accommodation – no excuses. This is a pensioner.”

A council spokesperson said: “We do everything we can to support people threatened with homelessness to find suitable accommodation as soon as possible.

“This includes negotiating with landlords to try to extend tenancies to give residents more opportunity to find alternative accommodation and prevent their homelessness.

“We use our Homeless Prevention Fund to sustain accommodation where possible.

“This can sustain long-term accommodation, or allow us more time to maintain accommodation in the short term while we look for further sustainable and suitable accommodation options.

“We always fulfil our legal obligations with regard to offering temporary or emergency accommodation to people who may need it.

“We cannot comment on individual cases.”