Failure by council to act resulted in mother and three children being street homeless for six months

As a result, Miss X and her three children were left street homeless for six months, experiencing ‘severe distress’.

Croydon has agreed to apologise and make a payment to remedy the fault.

In November 2024, the family’s landlord issued a section 21 notice seeking possession of the property and the mother made a homelessness application.

There was no action from Croydon until a housing appointment with the mother in early June 2025, at which she was advised to remain in her property until evicted by bailiffs.

The council created a personalised housing plan (PHP) for the family.

Croydon was satisfied Miss X was homeless and eligible for help, so accepted a relief duty on the same day which ended on 30 July 2025.

After Miss X and her children were evicted, the council offered her accommodation in another town more than 250 miles away, citing that she was not working enough hours to qualify for local housing.

She refused this offer, sleeping with her children in her car instead.

After a requested review, the council re-considered the case, having not reflected on her role as a carer when deciding on the suitability of its accommodation offer.

Croydon was asked to consider her complaint at stage two of its complaint procedure having failed to take any action since its complaint response and not offered any interim accommodation.

The mother said she was still sleeping in a car with her children more than four months after being evicted and complained to the Ombudsman.

Croydon blamed a lack of staff for the delays but accepted a main housing duty to the family on in January 2026, six months after the eviction, and offered them temporary accommodation which they moved into on the same day. The council sent the main duty letter to an incorrect address.

The Ombudsman found fault in a number of the council’s delays and decisions, with the first being the failure to respond to the mother’s first warning that she faced homelessness, which should have been met with a response within 56 days.

The council did not act on the case for six months, the Ombudsman said.

This caused almost three months of uncertainty over what steps the council would take to prevent Miss X’s homelessness.

The Ombudsman found that Croydon repeatedly failed to act proactively when it should have, delaying acceptance of the relief duty and the provision of interim accommodation from early February 2025, despite clear guidance and priority need.

The local authority then delayed its decision on the main housing duty until January 2026, depriving the family of important rights and potentially affecting her housing status.

Even when it accepted a relief duty in June 2025, it did not follow through with its obligation to provide interim accommodation.

In addition, the council’s complaint handling was flawed, the Ombudsman said, with substantial delays in responding and a failure to progress the complaint at the second stage, causing further avoidable time, trouble and frustration.

Croydon has agreed to apologise for the uncertainty caused by its initial failure to prevent Miss X’s homelessness, the further uncertainty and severe distress caused by its failure to arrange accommodation.

It will also pay £500 to recognise the uncertainty caused by its failure to prevent her homelessness between December 2024 and February 2025, £1,200 to recognise the uncertainty and distress caused by its failure to arrange accommodation between February and August 2025 and £6,000 to recognise the impact of her and her family spending six months street homeless between August 2025 and January 2026.

Finally, the council will complete the mother’s housing register application, ensuring any effective priority date as a result of her homelessness reflects the date the council should have accepted a main housing duty, not the delayed date.

A Croydon Council spokesperson said: "We sincerely apologise to our resident and regret that she did not receive the support she needed. 

“We have accepted the Ombudsman’s findings that there were delays in handling this case and that communications with our resident should have been better. She has now been placed in suitable accommodation and continues to be supported.”

The spokesperson added: “Like many councils across London, we are facing growing demand for homelessness support and there is a national shortage of suitable housing. In 2024/5 we saw a 50% increase in requests for homelessness support and dealt with over 4,800 applications.

"Our housing service has gone through major changes, with a stronger focus on preventing homelessness and helping residents get support earlier. This includes introducing face-to-face and telephone service for those seeking advice; an appointment service to improve assessments; and tailoring support for vulnerable residents with complex needs. We have also increased staffing to make sure that Personalised Housing Plans (PHPs) are issued accurately and on time.

“We are continuing to review and improve our services so residents can access the support they need at an early stage.”

Harry Rodd