Waltham Forest (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Waltham Forest Council will pay £7,000 in compensation after a homeless family was left in unsuitable B&B accommodation for nine months.
The family spent 41 weeks in the B&B, which is 35 weeks longer than the allowed amount of time.
The father, who only went by Mr. X, claimed that his two young daughters in particular had experienced “a great deal of stress, frustration, and hardship” as a result of the inappropriate housing.
In the end, they lodged a complaint with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, who acts as an impartial go-between for councils and citizens.
Waltham Forest Council’s deputy leader and housing cabinet member, Councillor Ahsan Khan, expressed regret and stated that the council “had not met the high standards residents would expect of us.”
The “significant” housing shortfall was brought to the ombudsman’s attention by the council. Despite acknowledging the problem, the arbitrator declared that the council was still at fault.
Families should only stay at bed and breakfasts for a maximum of six weeks, according to the Homelessness Code of Guidance, unless there is no other choice.
The family was first housed in a hotel without kitchens, and subsequently in another hotel outside the borough.
The ombudsman claimed that the council did not seem to take into account the fact that one of the young girls has special educational requirements and that it was “important” for her to stay at the same school.
In February 2025, over a year after the family had informed the council that they were in danger of losing their homes, they were ultimately relocated to temporary housing inside the borough.
Due to “having only a skeleton staff at that time, staff illness, and staff leaving,” the council attributed the case’s delays.
Top council members were warned earlier this week that the town hall would go £31 million over budget, in part because of the skyrocketing price of temporary housing.
In the 2025–2026 budget, £8.5 million was set aside for temporary housing; however, current estimates indicate that the actual cost will be closer to £22 million.
Cllr Khan said in full:
“We want our residents to have access to the safe, comfortable housing they need so they can live well in Waltham Forest.
We work hard to help anyone who approaches us at risk of being made homeless, and we are constantly looking at ways we can improve our service to offer the best support we can.
In this case, we have not met the high standards that residents would expect of us. I apologise to the family for their experience.
We have paid them compensation in light of these failings, and we accept all of the ombudsman’s recommendations. We will use them to improve the way we work as we continue to do all we can to make our borough a great place to live.”
What legal grounds supported the family’s compensation claim?
The council has a responsibility to arrange appropriate temporary accommodation without delay and to ensure households with children will not be placed in unsuitable B&Bs for extended periods under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and associated housing legislation.
The family were going to B&B accommodation for not longer than nine months which was contrary to the Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities, which usually restricts family placements to six weeks or less.
The council had acted neglectfully in failing to comply with its statutory duty and had placed the family in a position of distress and harm that could have been avoided.