The housing association, in a nutshell

Thirty leases between the housing association and the council, which has placed us families in its care, are ending in the next year, I discovered this earlier this year.

On Monday, sitting in Cafe Nero, I phone my Landlord.

In a nutshell, I'm told that it knows nothing about my impending eviction. "It's not on the system."

I ask if I can speak to my housing officer. I'm told he might be on annual leave. Lucky him!

I ask if I can speak to someone else and the woman says they'll get back to me.

"When?" I ask.
"I don't know."
"Today?"
"I don't know."
"It says I have to be out of my flat next Monday. It's important. Can someone call me today?"
"I'm sorry, I'll find out for you. I don't know."

I phone the owner of my flat, who has a lease agreement with them, to ask her for a stay of execution. She says she'll call them.

I get a call from the housing association when I'm drinking a pint of water in the "World's End." She tells me the owner of the flat called.

"Don't worry, it's nothing to worry about, it's just a possession order... You don't have to leave unless we enforce the bailiff's order."

I ask her when when when. Next August. I feel my whole body relax. I feel my head expand and let in air.

"I have to ask, did you do this on purpose? Getting these orders out in time for Christmas?"

"We applied in October, it can take eight weeks," she replied. "We don't know. It's up to the court. We can't really guess when the order comes through. We have to do this."

Why is it, with these big organisations, it is always someone else's fault?