Knowing the law is half the battle...

Did the housing councillor lie to me? Did he? Didn't he? When he said the allocations policy was legislative and couldn't be changed by the council?

Old Soak at the pub (who isn't an old soak by the way, only ever has 2 pints of guinness and can sometimes have an extra half if we're chatting. I like him, and he does me, in the human to human sense. "How are you?" I once said when I was new. "Grumpy," he mumbled and I laughed because he reminded me of my brother. Since then, we're mates.)

Anyway, Old Soak had a bad week so I told him about mine. I can bore him about housing because because oh, I don't have time today!

So Old Soak told me that allocation policies might be up to the council but but BUT they are following guidelines from the state, so there would be a statutory instrument about it.

The lawyer did fob me off and she fobbed me off because she was probably too busy (as opposed to didn't want) to help. She knows the law, not me, so she could talk over me with it and keep returning to the fact the councillor had dealt me a 'red herring'.

There are two main statutory instruments she said, but if one imagines a branch, many twigs shoot from it and the instrument I want is one of those. Twigs are mighty things you know, you can make wands out of them for starters.....

The lawyer may have known she was fobbing me off because at the end, when I'd dried my eyes, she suddenly said I should volunteer for the Law Centre.

Wow, I didn't expect that, I didn't quite know what to say thinking the summer holiday's are coming up and I'm struggling to find childcare so I can do my pub shift during the teachers' strike.

She said I could volunteer for national policies too, though not with them.

I'm going to ponder on it. Local may too hard. I'll work on cases of families being helped with housing when mine wasn't helped. Still, when it comes to our next eviction...

Got to think about it, it's a good idea and I'd love to work in research and policy, just not fecking volunteering; hard cash is what I want.

But hey, tis a New Moon and what should one do on New Moons?

Let go or Start again
Start again
Start again....

Red herrings and legal quagmires

Thought I'd chance my luck this morning and go to the Law Centre about the letter for Dobbie.

Chance my luck... ha ha very fecking funny. Came out in tears didn't I, so frustrated I am.

If I hadn't written so many posts I'd locate for you now the one where I wrote the housing councillor here in Camden told me the policy change I wanted wasn't up to the council, it was a legislative matter for which I'd need an mp to get and modify a statutory instrument.

Over at the law centre, I was told that it is up to the local council to define their allocations policies; there were no statutory instruments to do with the points families and individuals aren't given (though they'd won a case recently arguing for a hostel family to be given overcrowding points which will have a wider effect. Good news but I'm still not taking my son to one if I can fecking help it)

They like to talk lawyers, don't they. I shudder with the cuts to legal aid and people having represent themselves because you have to represent yourself to a lawyer to get them to help and represent you in the first place. I've failed and failed again on that score. I did ask her, when she said cases were taken on 'merit', why my son and I didn't 'merit' legal help when we were being evicted. We could've gone for the lack of overcrowding points, lack of instability points, all sorts. She didn't like that much, and said it's done on 'a first come first serve basis'. That didn't make me feel better as I thought of the last time I came to them for help and was behind a bangladeshi dad in a temporary flat who wasn't being evicted. You can't help but wonder even though you're not allowed to wonder.

Anyway, I'm upset so capable at running off on all kinds of tangents.

Housing councillor lied to me. He had, he has the power to change the policy I asked him to change. Why did you lie to me???? Lawyer told me to go back to him and ask for the statutory instrument he's talking about, so there's an email I have to write but don't want to because I know he won't reply. I've been published in the local press haven't I? I'm no longer one to trust. Besides, no-one likes to admit they sent you up the garden path to catch a fish on a bicycle.

Yeah, so Dobbie wasn't wrong getting me to get a lawyer to write him a letter but I'm not getting one from the law centre.

There are statutory instruments she said, the two main ones being:
Priority groups within housing framework are set by government and homeless are one of those, as are those with unsanitary housing ('how do you decide who needs it more' lawyer asked rhetorically)
The other is to encourage the private sector as a way of preventing homelessness. I know that's a sham.

Write a letter. Say what needs changing. Too fucking complicated isn't it.

The law centre run their own campaigns, and achieve small inroads with successful 'case by case' cases, she explained.

They won't help me run my campaign. They won't take me on as a case.

Why did I start crying?

I saw me and my son being evicted again in two years time and being well and truly fucked.

I CANNOT GO THROUGH IT AGAIN

' Red herring' was the lawyer speaking, 'legal quagmire' is me. Ironic I was talking to the lawyer just as shoutforjustice's let them eat cake protest was taking place outside parliament. Lawyer said housing wouldn't be affected by legal aid cuts. I just stared at her, rendered mute by the whole damned thing.

£350m slash on Legal Aid will affect you....

I'd stopped blogging for the day and thought I'd drop in on Twitter and have a read when Shelter, who I follow, alerted me to this article in yesterday's Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2011/jun/06/legal-aid-cuts-chaos-courts?INTCMP=SRCH

It makes for horrific reading. Could you really represent yourself?? People are already having to and they're saying up to 650,000 more will join them.

Family courts, wouldn't you know, are the ones most affected.

If you don't have a footballer's wage, you're screwed frankly.

http://soundoffforjustice.org/

Tory big brother sounds off on Legal Aid.

David Cameron's older brother who's a criminal law barrister, has apparantly been putting pressure on him to rethink his slashing of £350 million in Legal Aid.

http://soundoffforjustice.org/david-cameron%E2%80%99s-brother-bends-pm%E2%80%99s-ear-over-legal-aid-cuts

That, I have to say, if it is true and not some spin to make Dave seem a better person through his family members, is potentially really significant.

While I was being evicted I was silenced by legal aid cuts. The government wants to silence everyone.

But you know that, don't you?

Labour's Housing election priority

I read things late, I do, but yesterday trawling through Guardian online discovered that Ed Miliband has made housing an 'election priority'. He's pledged, a week or so ago, to build 25,000 new homes.

That's all very good but I can't help wishing he'd read out my postcard in PMQ's or whereever. Can you imagine? Sent by a statutory homeless person regarding money for repairs of existing properties? Loaded I reckon, for a good debate afterwards especially as there's also a dead person named on it but then what do statutory homeless people know...

This one has discovered there's a big housing conference going on in Harrogate in two weeks time organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing. The Housing Minister and the Shadow Housing Minister will be there. Should be interesting, in light of Miliband's new pledges!

I wonder if Dobbie will pass my letter to Shapps to Seabeck the Shadow and she'll ask him questions that he hasn't answered me?

That would be quite funny actually, in that stranger things have happened kind of way...

Heh heh heh hmmm

Obstacles and patience...

So simple, so simple I thought it would be.

I ran along to the Law Centre like my good MP told me to (and he is good, he is..) and they said, well the receptionist said, that the lawyers can't write a letter unless the MP writes them a letter specifically asking them to do so.

"Oh really?" I said, incredulous. It didn't help that I met a human rights lawyer at a party a few weeks ago who said statutory instruments were very quick to look up if you are in the field, so when the receptionist said 'It's a lot of work', I erm, didn't quite believe her. And besides, in this case, my MP made it quite clear I had to help him, in order for him to help me. I told him the Law Centre were unlikely to help me, legal aid an' all, and he seemed to think because I wasn't taking a case it should be fine.

I rang the MP's office afterwards. His secretary said that he couldn't write the letter. She also said the Law Centre would only do it if they saw an interest in it.

Do they see an interest in the homeless being given rights or do they think holy fuck, every one will have rights and no-one will be able to exercise them because there's no money and what little legal aid is left is being slashed?

Despondant I was. Despondant because I'd also written to Shelter (you may think that contacting both it wrong but I'm on my own here, I need as much support with my idea as possible...)

Anyway, Shelter haven't gotten back..yet. The MP's secretary said it might take a while.

Cainer told me yesterday to be patient.

I had a dream this morning I should so a course in housing law, become a housing lawyer and write the letter to the MP myself on embossed paper. Wave it at the ministers. It made me tired just thinking about it...

I don't know. Perhaps I should do what my instinct told me yesterday, as well as Cainer, to sit on my hands so I don't bite my nails and pick my cuticles and bide my time.

Argh, you know, sometimes I need to take my own advice and slowwww dowwwwn and trussst that things will work out.

Up hill all the way innit?

Hoping my idea's developing - a song

Once I believed that when ideas came to me
They would come with plans and answers quick(er)ly
But with homeless you
it just started quietly and grew
And believe it or not
Now there's something groovy and good
'Bout whatever I got

And it's getting better
Growing stronger warm and wiser
Getting better everyday, better every day?

I do feel quite turned on and starry eyed
And I feel a calm contentment deep inside
Holding dreams at night just seems kind of natural and right
If it works you will see
That it isn't half of what it's going to turn out to be

My idea’s getting better
Growing stronger, warm and wiser
Getting better everyday, better everyday?

Ba da da da da da da da da da da da

And I don't mind waitin', do I mind waitin?
'Cause no matter how long it takes
That deep down I know
My idea’s getting better
Growing stronger, warm and wiser
Getting better everyday, better everyday

I hope it's getting strong
I really hope it's getting strong
I hope it's getting strong
I really hope it's getting strong....

(Mama Cass featuring Stigmum)

and now with accompanying music you can hear....!

The Tortoise and the Hare

In my son's absence, I told you didn't I that I would take a break from blogging in order to clear that head of mine ready to ask Dobbie to save the Universe, just for me (heh heh).

I didn't clear my head, but I did go to see him.

He recognised me which was great and at the same time was suprised to see me. What would I want now?

Save the Universe Dobbie!

No, of course what I'd planned to say I didn't, but I got my main points out:

The homeless are discriminated against in policy. Please get the Statutory Instrument (whatever that is... yeah, I was still confused by the time I went to see him). He said there were hundreds upon thousands of Statutory Instruments and I looked at him blankly. Well, it felt blankly from my side, I couldn't say what he interpreted because he told me to get a legal organisation such as the Law Centre or Shelter to write to him listing what needed to be changed and he would take that to ministers!

I was quite shocked. I don't know what I expected. Surely I expected that? I couldn't ask for much better could I?

I'd come armed with four letters. One I'd written to him, one I'd written to Miliband, one I'd written to Shapps and the latest one to Clegg. I'd had a whole speech prepared around these letters but all I said was to read them.

One thing that startled me was how startled he looked when I said amending the Statutory Instruments as relates to the homeless was a "symbolic gesture that will rip open the debate. The need, the need..." and he nodded like he understood what I was saying.

He didn't say nothing could be done though did he? He didn't say it was hopeless. He could have done. Imagine he was a Tory.. he would have done, maybe, possibly, perhaps.

This, after what it seems like years I've been campaigning, feels like a beginning. It feels like a beginning that won't have a speedy resolution.

That night I had a dream about the Tortoise and the Hare. The tortoise wins in the end! The tortoise wins!

I must do as Dobbie asked then patiently wait.

Patiently hope.

Patiently believe.

I also promised New Day New Lesson that I would post her link about turtles and rabbits because I read it just the next day and it felt like a brilliant coincidence even though our subject matter differed!

Slow and steady wins the race she says.

My campaign's been slow and hopefully I can one day prove or give hope to others, that slow can finish and finish successfully!

Believe

Plans put in place at parties

I met a human rights lawyer at the weekend, at my friend's Eurovision song contest party.

Azerbaijan sang victorious. Azarbaijan???? Well, Blue didn't stand a chance really and nor did Jedward when you consider all these countries vote for their neighbours.

So, a human rights lawyer was there. I told her I'd given up with lawyers, but I was going to go to my MP, one last time on housing issues, to ask him for "the statutory instrument" I need to change an anomoly in the housing allocation policy.

Human rights lawyer told I might have a case for discrimination. Her own organisation couldn't help because they deal more with discrimination issues based on race or mental health.

But, she said, Liberty might take it. Contact them, she urged me.

I will. Not today but I will.

My housing plans are the reasons I want to stop blogging.
My housing plans were the reason I started in the first place.
Will I get a council flat? I asked two years ago.
No, was the answer I gave you.

That was a blow, if I'm honest.

I've come back though.
Did she ever get the £283m, a reader might ask.
Did she ever manage to change the policy on allocating homeless people? a reader might ask.
You know, I might succeed with these things. Follow me on this journey to success so I may show you that hanging on to hope brings its rewards...

Geez, I took you on my dentist journey believing I'd be telling you teeth can be saved and don't be frightened.
That was another blow, if I'm honest.

It's all so bloody negative. This life, our lives, some of us...

I quit smoking. After 25 years I quit smoking.

It's here, on blogspot, my one success out of all the challenges I set myself.

That's no blow. If I can do it so can you.

I want to quit blogspot on a hopeful note

Is that so hard?

Why is that so hard?

Do I surrender? Admit defeat?

I don't want a cigarette but at least I can have a cigarette moment

Plans put in place at parties...

Breathe in, exhale

Absorbing oppression

I think I do this.

I absorb all shit.

Like

Heard on the news last night that not filling in the Census costs the local councils billions. Not filling in the census means less money is delivered to councils for essential services because they don't know how many people live there.

Bullshit. It's all bollocks. Fucks me off.

Sometimes I absorb stuff without even totally understanding what I am absorbing, because what I am absorbing is too overwhelming and too poisonous to my psyche. Like missiles in a war I never ask for, I don't know how to stop it.

I don't feel better writing this down. No, not at all

Which means of course this blog today is TOXIC

Stay away if you know what's good for you.

As I should do with the political world outside my window, inside my window, fucking everywhere in my life.

There, I've given you a public health warning.

Clocks go forward, the sun still high

I was going to go to the Latin mass in Mayfair this morning, for as you know, I sometimes go to church. Instead I had a lie in! I woke up and my phone said "10.56" and the service starts at 11! I forwarded my phone last night so as not to miss it. Ah well!

The sky has been blue all day and I felt I should go to the Heath but I didn't want to go alone, for I did that a few times last week, which was nice, don't want to spoil that healing memory.

So I've stopped in with Stiggers, to tell you about my weekend.

It's late now, 17.15! The sun is still so high in the sky! Summer is on its way!

I'm going to go and post that sodding census then I'm going to drown my sorrow of that down my local pub.

Just one beer. My son's coming home.

I can't wait.

Census due in today

The day I was going to send it, I saw the video below on one of my friend's facebook pages.

It's due in today. Today. A Sunday.

I wish I could boycott this census, but I don't have £1000 nor do I have the guts. I'm ashamed to admit it, but then our Government should be ashamed of itself aswell.

Take support from all sources

It is comforting the number of people who have got angry on my behalf at my child being labelled a 'child in need'.

I will accept what the social services tell me to do because I have little choice. One hopes they have mine and my son's best interests at heart but one never knows. Their job is to tick boxes and on one level I can't believe they are putting their resources towards me and my son when there are children out there who are in grave danger or who are being abused, and the imminent cuts to social services budgets will leave many more of these children and also vulnerable families without any support whatsover.

Still, if the social services can help us with housing, which they say they can't.. oh stigs, shall we just drop it now?

There are some forces that we can neither ignore, control nor even predict with any great degree of reliability. How then, do we protect ourselves from the intensity of their impact? By a combination of common sense and carelessness. First we must envisage every possible problem and do what we can to avoid it. Then, before we drive ourselves into a frenzy of anxiety, we must decide that having duly worried, we should worry no more and may as well relax. It's time, now, to be decisive and clear.

Cainer this morning!
I emailed a charity last night. I hope they respond.
Now I'll rattle off a few more emails then take a break for lunch.

2011 Census

I've just filled the census I was sent.
Can you believe if we don't do it we're breaking the law and could be strung up to dry with mammoth fines to pay and possible prison sentence. Well, not so sure about that but it does feel so big brothery....

It asked me if I'd looked for work in the past four weeks.
I said yes.
Well, I kind of have.
I've sent emails to people
I even arranged lunch with one but with this and that it failed to take place
I could feel despondent about it all
but of course, when I feel like that I always read my horoscope
If offers were on their way it would be quite pertinent today's offering from Cainer (I chuckle!)

It's one thing to tiptoe through a minefield. It's another to pitch a tent and set up home in the middle of such a volatile environment. The edge of a diving board, by much the same token, is no place to lie down for a peaceful snooze. Either crawl back to a place of safety - or summon your courage and jump! Current events are now highlighting the way in which you have lately been living with uncertainty and indecision. It's time to put yourself in a position where you're less affected by both. You may need to be brave.

You understand why I chuckle...All that talk of bravery given my recent postings!!

Anyway, must remember to send off the census
Must also photocopy all my proof of benefits to send to the electric company which I haven't done yet (why oh why do you have to prove so much???) so I might get some respite from that flipping awful ridiculously high bill they want to send me.

Oh the pocket is empty but the spirit is strong

Repeat after me

I am a millionaire
I am a millionaire
I am a millionaire

(not allowed to say "wish I was" as I am tempted to do, it might break the spell of powerful belief!)

War and the Automatic rights to family reunion

Did you know that mothers seeking asylum are not automatically granted the right to family reunion once they have legal status here?

I did not know that.

A mother who spoke out at the Mothers March event yesterday that she had to leave her three children behind when she fled from war in her country ten years ago. It took her eight years to be granted a legal status to remain here. After that she was told she had no automatic right to have her children join her here. She's fighting for that now but legal aid is being cut, cut for everyone so we have no recourse to anything anymore

Many many mothers are in her situation, wanting to be reunited with their children. There is a petition we signed but I didn't have time to pick up the leaflet to put the link on here.

This mother hasn't seen her children for 10 years. Ten years? Can you imagine? I can't imagine not being allowed to see my son for that long.

She, like others who spoke, experienced racism at her detention centre. It seems our asylum seekers are told by staff that they are only here for the benefits.

You've read right wing press, you've read that insinuation.

She said her country was at war. She said it was not easy to flee with her children so she left hoping for sanctuary somewhere safe. When she's told then, that she's only here for the benefits, she gets angry, because if our (by that I mean my) government didn't sell arms to her country's leaders which they then use to oppress people like her, then she might not be here at all, she might be home with her children.

Libya Libya Libya.... (No, she wasn't from there, there's war going on in many, many countries)

I hope she's joined by her children soon.

I'll be honest with you, I don't often pay attention to any news, good or bad, about asylum seekers or immigrants and thinking about it now, it's possibly because I am in competition with them, for housing.

They are entitled to housing, they are entitled to have their children with them.

They are entitled to have their children with them and live somewhere safe.

We need more housing and we need it urgently

We can't abolish legal aid

What a mess. What a flipping mess....

Dreams of victory and defeat

There is victory in defeat. You've heard that saying before yeah?

I had a wierd dream last night where I was standing outside the Courts of Justice saying:
"There is defeat in victory."
I was smiling.
Like I say, wierd...
Just thought I'd share that with you!

SOS

Texts to my new support worker yesterday. This morning the pressure sitting on my chest. Coooowee tis heavy. Here you go:

Me: I've just had a letter from Pathmeads telling me to expect The bailiffs. I've also bid on 2 properties today. The council can end this horror for me and [my son].

NSW: Sue, please do not get anxious about this, you will not be made homeless with nowhere to go. They have applied for a bailiffs, which can take wks and is part of the process. I have TA on the case looking for a flat. (TA is Temporary Accommodation for those not in the know)

Me: You've never been in my situation, let alone 3 times with a child. Anxiety? Noone has any idea. Permanence is what my small family needs. I'm terrified.

Weeks? How many weeks? I sent an email to the woman I met from Shelter. Who knows, you never know, only so grateful that there is this charity there who I could contact to calm me down a bit.

I picked the boy from school. We filled one bag with toys to throw away and one bag with toys to give away.

To think, I'd been cleaning, yes cleaning, the inside of a kitchen cupboard when the letter came.

I wanted to mention the bailiffs to my son but I didn't. Nor did I cry.

Gimme Shelter

So much can happen in a week.

Last monday morning, before my son's social worker called, before my support worker called, having felt so low, I called Shelter, the homeless charity.

They booked me an appointment for yesterday.

How was I to know that everything would change?

A tube strike yesterday. Millions of londoners struggling to get to work. The overland was working, the overland could take me to Stratford.

What to say to the person? I'd been offered a place. Camden had fulfilled its duty. There was nothing to say.

Oh, apart from fear. Fear of what might happen next.

A lovely woman. When I showed her the article I'd written in the CNJ she said: "I'm glad someone's being proactive."

She said she could put a call through to my support worker, to find out what's happening now. I told her I'd send the two emails I wrote to the council, last monday and tuesday night.

"We can't take any action right now," she said, "but call me if there are any developments." She gave me her telephone number.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more help," she said as I left.

"Oh you have," I replied. "More than you realise, honestly." Then I hugged her.

Gimme Shelter is a Rolling Stones song. No tunes were playing in my head yesterday. Popping into Morrison's for a bottle of water afterwards though, I saw "The Magic of Doris Day" cd selling for £4.

Unlike my other Doris cd, this one has her signature tune and more.
Que Sera Sera...
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps....

Today I send my letter to the Courts

My brother is a corporate lawyer, well, some kind of lawyer, not a housing lawyer or a family law lawyer. My brother doesn't live in England.

My brother has never been able to help me with housing, for I did ask him when the church evicted me and my son.

Last week he came to England to spend a few days with my parents. After I'd written my letter to Brighton Family Courts on Thursday, I sent it to my mum. Could big bro have a look at it before I sent it? Lawyers all speak the same language after all don't they? Could he clean it up?

I got it back last night. It's brilliant!

I'd written:
In theory, particularly in terms of my son’s best interests regarding health and safety, I consent to his father,[the Foca], having parental responsibility.
In practice I do not consent and as such will not be present at the court hearing on August 17th 2010.
The proceedings can take place without me.

With great tweaking, the new improved version begins like this:

In terms of my son's best interest (in particular his health and safety) I consent to his father, [the Foca], having parental responsibility and I accordingly shall not be present at the hearing.

However, it would be remiss of me if I did not set out my reservations as to the timing of this application.

Isn't that great?!! He's left blanks for me to put in dates. Outlined in much less emotive terms how he handed us notice and the fact I've never denied the foca access.

(v) To all intents and purposes [Foca] has been exercising full parental responsibility over [child]

On his application, the Foca wrote:

"[Son's] mother has refused to consider making a parental responsibility agreement and I believe that our son would benefit from having two parents with Parental Responsibility the same as any child of separated parents. Our child should not be disadvantaged because his mother and I were not married.
It would be better for our son if I had parental responsibility as it would facillitate my support in everyday situations and also since it would allow me to act promptly as may be required in a contingency."

Contingency? What the fuck's that?

Oh my bro.
The new improved version safeguards me in the future. If I need to apply to the courts for residency (as family lawyer told me last week), I can just produce this letter. It also means that I can tick the consent and not consent box on the form I have to return.

Thank you, thank you, thank you SO MUCH

Now to stand and repeat after myself with full knowledge of what the Foca's like:

I am strong
I am strong
I am strong

Family Law

Went to see a solicitor yesterday regarding this court order from the Foca. I told her I didn't want to attend.

She said I didn't have to if I consented, I'd just have to sign the paper. If I didn't consent I would need to attend, to state my case.

It's tricky though you see.

I absolutely consent signing the parental responsibility agreement for my child.
I absolutely do not consent signing it for the Foca.

She said that later I could apply for residency if he started posing problems.

I still don't want to go, I said. It's not a good time.

She told me to write a letter.

I came out of the solicitor's office and tears rolled out my eyes in streams, my eyes wide open and clear. As though my bones were weeping releasing pain, the sorrow at source. I resisted drinking myself for I didn't taste salty or acidic.

I wrote the first draft. It's really difficult.