Hounslow Council Relents on Housing Woman and Child
Had initially resisted watchdog's recommendation to provide her with home
Hounslow House - the head office of the council
June 20, 2025
Hounslow Council has u-turned and agreed to house a mother and child after the local government watchdog ruled the council had failed her.
Originally, the borough refused to follow recommendations to house the woman and child despite her having been sofa surfing since pregnancy, when she first approached them for help.
However, after an intervention from Council Leader Councillor Shantanu Rajawat, and a public spat with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, the council will offer the woman, named Miss X in the report, and her child suitable housing at the next available opportunity.
The watchdog found six faults on the part of the council in its original report, in which the Ombudsman accused Hounslow Council of “purposefully avoiding its legal duties” to house the woman, who was pregnant at the time.
Some of these faults included telling Miss X that she was in the council’s ‘top Band 0’ list for a home, despite this band not existing. The authority also told her that applying as homeless would not reduce her chances of securing permanent housing, which is not true.
Miss X was told by the council that moving out of the borough would not affect her application for housing. This then disqualified her from Hounslow Council’s housing register, leaving her unable to apply to the housing register in her new borough as she had not lived there long enough to be eligible.
Despite Miss X making numerous complaints, the Ombudsman found that the council “failed to make any inquiries” into her homeless situation. If it had done so when it should have, the evidence suggested she was “eligible, homeless, and in priority need”.
The council had followed most of the recommendations from the watchdog, such as paying the woman £3,750 to recognise its failings. However, it refused to house her as recommended by the watchdog.
Shortly after the Ombudsman report was published, Cllr Sue Sampson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that “the council does not accept that there is evidence that a homelessness application would have been successful, even had one been made”.
Two months later, the case is now considered “exceptional and urgent, or in the council’s financial or strategic interest” by the Chief Housing Officer. As such, following the decision from Cllr Rajawat, Miss X will now be offered the next suitable two-bedroom property.
The council decided that alternative options, such as refusing the recommendation could either lead to subsequent public reports from the Ombudsman, or a judicial review challenging the decision.
The council report outlines that it could not challenge the Ombudsman’s conclusions on fault or injustice to Miss X caused by Hounslow Council.
Philip James Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter