“All councillors understand that having safe and comfortable shelter is a basic need. So, when I receive a call for help regarding housing from a Merstham resident, particularly for social housing, the outcome is often negative due to the limited housing stock.
It must be difficult for officers at the Council and at Raven Housing to manage expectations when households sometimes wait up to five years to move to a suitable home. However, I have received requests for help from households with children diagnosed with either ASD or ADHD.
The scenario is similar: a household is on the register for Band C housing, close to the top of the list of applicants, but then receives a diagnosis for a child with ASD, ADHD, or both. They are subsequently moved from Band C to Band B, which is designated for High Medical or Welfare Need, but end up at the bottom of Band B.
Due to the limited housing stock, they are often advised not to submit the additional
medical evidence to retain a higher position in the lower band. I know of one parent who
took out a loan to get a diagnosis of ADHD.
As more and more adults and children are being diagnosed with ASD or ADHD, is there
a better way of managing the housing register to ensure that households feel their
medical needs correspond more accurately to their banding?”
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