Please read the previous part of this series here
My caseworker has just got in touch with me to ask me for more documents which has really wound me up as this could have been done when I first approached the council on the 13th of October.
I sent a response explaining that I still don’t have access to my belongings and the documents they are asking for due to lack of funds and no access to the relevant documents.
The caseworker then asks me about the illegal eviction, and I told them that their colleague has spoken to the landlord who evicted me. Later on, the caseworker got back to me to say that their colleague didn’t find anything out.
At this point I lost the plot as this was a straight up lie and demanded that all of our communications be recorded from that point on. The colleague I’m talking about spoke to my landlord who explained that the locks had been changed because the owner of the property had a formal eviction notice.
The colleague also found out that there was no record of the bailiffs ever going to the property on the 9th of October and was told by the landlord that they would get in with me so that I could get my belongings back.
I have no trust in my council right now and I don’t believe I would have been supported with housing even if I was home for the eviction on the 9th of October. In my view, it is telling that they prefer to communicate with me on the phone, it feels to me like they’re trying to cover their tracks.
Obviously, there is a housing crisis right now which is in part down to lack of funding but having to deal with people you don’t trust or have any faith in is demoralising and demotivating.
I now have a clearer understanding of exactly what people who are sleeping on the streets are talking about when they say they lack faith in organisations that should be supporting them to move forward.
In the future I’m going to make sure that I listen to people’s concerns and work accordingly to ensure they get the support they need. If anything, this experience has given me the tools to better support others facing these issues and a better understanding of how best to navigate the services that are there to help them.
Please see the next report in the series here
Image by Mat Amp [Instagram @matamp67]