Allocated emails

Allocations has replied to my email this morning apologising for its tardiness due to new council and government. I'd asked her to explain why my points are so low. She didn't but did say she noticed I was bidding and knowing the property owner did not want my son and me to remain here, was making every effort for us to remain in the borough. She said as homeless applicants we can't apply for both insecurity points and statutory homeless points "at the same time" (serious fucking flaw in the system if you ask me....)

I'm grateful this manager replies to me when I write to her. I also know she does have the power to at least talk to those who can change our lives, so I sent her another. After the half term I'm going to get busy again. I'll have two months. Only two months left having started all this pleading for a secure tenancy 16 months ago. I don't want to say "watch me fail". I want to post success, to give other people hope.

Here's the email anyway:

Dear [Allocations],

Thank you for your reply. As you know I continue to bid, even though I was told not to bother. With a possession notice hanging over me and my son it is a very painful exercise not made any easier by the fact that in October I am to be forced back to work. I volunteer for the Council, but was told at a Work Based Interview on Tuesday that I will have to stop doing this in exchange for waged employment in some private company somewhere.

Securing my son's basic foundation is my first priority so you understand the pain of unsuccessful bidding.

Thank you for making every effort for us to remain in Camden. Please, like me, make every effort to keep my child in [His School]. He is so well supported there. The school knows our history and in my mind, are doing a phenomenal job in encouraging him to participate whilst coping with his high levels of anxiety.

His father moved to Brighton in the Autumn. The school continues to mediate problems between us. They have allocated me a student social worker to alleviate the effects of my housing fears on my son.

I still do not understand why my points are so low. I met a Polish mother of one recently who complained to me that "Somalians" got housed before her even though she'd been in the country longer. What upset me was she had a far greater number of points than us and had only been on the waiting list for three years. I met her two weeks ago and she's been successfully housed. I was pleased for her child and sad for my own.

I can't accept that we haven't been left behind and still believe that something can be done to help us. With a secure flat I am only going to do what my country is asking me to do. It's a huge challenge for a single parent and one I can try to meet head on if I know my son is safe.

Thanks again for your email.

Kind regards,
Sue de Nim