Calling the council

To enter the portals of Camden Council is to enter into a labyrinth, a plethora of tunnels not unlike a maze. It is nigh on impossible to look into the eye of the Minotaur you wish to speak to so the easiest way to reach them in by telephone. That in itself is no mean feat. A few weeks ago I went down to the housing office to make a call to them because it's free.

Press 1 if you know the extension number you require. No idea, no flipping idea.

Press 2 if you are a private tenant and would like advice about your tenancy. No, I'm not that.

Press 3 if you are a non Camden resident. I am one. How about 3 if you are a Camden Homeless Household? No such luck, we don't exist.

Press 4 for all other general enquiries. Punch.

Once again, I knew my problem. A month or so ago I bid on the exact same property I bid on three years ago, 7a Oseney Crescent in Kentish Town. A basement flat with a room for my son and garden for my bike. For three years, on the Home Connection's website, it has stated on my bidding account that I'm under consideration for that property in 5th position. Suddenly it goes up again for open bidding and I'm in 128th position on the waiting list. Surely I should be first on the list by now?

The girl on the other end of the phone tells me that I haven't been under consideration for that property. What? Then who? My number? No, she says, the property is under consideration to be let. Well yes, to me. She's making no sense and parroting what's been parroted to me for five years: "Keep bidding, keep bidding," so I ask to speak to her manager. Yes I'll hold. Eureka!

Manager says it's a computer glitch, it happens sometimes, the 'under consideration' terminology is misleading, people complain. I shouldn't have been able to see the flat was under consideration, she continues, when it has, in fact, had tenants in it.

Tenants? No it hasn't, I tell her. It's been empty. Ex support worker told me it was being repaired. She checks, I'm vindicated, my fury abates a little. I quite like this manager. She is the first person who hasn't pretended the council isn't auctioning off its properties.

I tell her that when my lease runs out my son and I will be placed in a hostel. "Well, if that's all we can offer," she says. My bile rises. "And you think a hostel is appropriate for a seven year old?" I ask. "Well, we have..." and she stops, because she knows I know there are hundreds of 7,8,9,10,11,12 years olds living with depressed parents; hundreds even younger too.

"We have no control over council policy," she continues. "It changes according to Government directives and their long term goals."

It's a fantastic example of 'buck passing' that the council are very good at. I don't ask her what the directives are because I know some of them but I try not to read them. You know the kind of thing: Only give flats to those with jobs because existing tenants are 'work shy', put an end to lifetime tenancies, get people to move on when they start earning a decent wage (wow, that's encouragement to stay off work if ever I heard one but no, we'll be penalised, best keep trudging on the minimum wage). There's more, read the papers if you're interested.

She then said the flat had actually been offered to someone else in a 'direct let' and you know what I said. "Oh". I let it go, I was exhausted of keeping my emotions in check.

I was so spitting angry when I got off the phone, I sent her a ranty email. "Work shy? Every single mother that I've met working, I've felt compelled to ask "how do you afford to?" and they've said "I live in a council flat""

Then the penny truly dropped about her direct let comment. It was up there for people to bid on, so why was it simply given to someone else in a 'direct let'?

That's why I wrote to the housing chief. So he could answer that. I mentioned about the lifts and how difficult our lives are. I asked him to help us. I got the reply to that letter today. From one of his minions. I have to respond to it. The assistant minion has told me to talk to my support worker about any issues I have. There is no point. I'm writing back to the chief. Well, he's who I contacted in the first instance. He can be my Minotaur.