Episode 6 The Housing Enforcers

That doesn't quite feel safe.

'Everyone deserves a safe place to live.'

What's it like for you living here?

'But with rents rising and demand increasing,

'it's getting harder and harder to find a secure place to call home.'

Passers-by have used these as toilets.

Out she pops, brandishing a bottle above her head.

'I'm Matt Allwright and I'm back with the Housing Enforcers.'

There are definitely fleas here, an infestation.

He was trying to make this into a home

and then it just all went horribly wrong.

'I'm on the front line with those fighting

'for the right to decent housing...'

You can actually see the floorboards.

'..as local councils and housing associations

'battle problem properties and slum conditions...'

-Are you ready for this, are you?

-I don't know.

'..as they deal with dodgy landlords...'

So that's a dead rat.

What am I going to do?

'..nightmare neighbours...'

All hell broke loose and I could hear somebody screaming.

Get rid of him!

'..and everything in between...'

-I think that's referred to as a bong.

-A bong, right, OK, yeah.

-A makeshift bong.

-Yeah, a makeshift bong.

'..to help those in need of a happy and healthy home.'

If there's something strange in your neighbourhood,

who you gonna call?

'Today, one tenant finds herself evicted

'after 60 years in the same house.'

You've just lost your mum, you've been through that

and now you're going to lose your home.

'Things take a dangerous turn in an empty property.'

I'm coming across quite a few really, really sharp knives.

It's very suspicious, and they're placed in places

like just underneath cabinets and underneath the bed

and just rings even more alarm bells for me.

A young tenant and his injured mum are hoping for a new start.

Yeah, I do really worry about her

because, like, when she's about here,

she could fall over and hurt herself.

'And we find a house that's definitely not for those

'with a fear of heights.'

That just doesn't quite feel safe.

Making sure everyone's got the chance to find

and keep a roof over their heads

is the job of housing offices across the UK.

I'm working alongside these men and women who use the law

to make sure we don't live in slums, but in homes fit to raise a family

or enjoy our retirement.

They can make sure you have the facilities you need

as you get older.

They also have the power to enforce a landlord

to sort out a dangerous property or help evict a bad tenant.

It's definitely a challenging role.

Welcome to the world of The Housing Enforcers.

The UK has more social housing than anywhere else in Europe.

There's around 4.1 million social homes in England and Wales,

but with demand for them far exceeding supply,

today, for many tenants, the idea of a social home for life

is simply unachievable.

Here in Mid Suffolk,

housing officer Andrew Weaver's role is to try to find homes

for everyone in need and that often comes with difficult choices,

like the one he's facing today.

So what have we got today, then?

Well, we're going to go and see a lady

who hasn't any succession rights left

to the property she's living in.

Lost her mum a few months ago,

but she hasn't got the right to remain there.

I thought that you got succession rights from your parents,

so if your parents had a council property or a social property,

then you automatically had the right to that.

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely right.

On this occasion, unfortunately,

it was originally in her father's name.

So it passed from the father to the mother,

that was the one succession that's been used up, effectively?

Exactly. I mean, in this day and age,

we want to try and grab as many properties back

and put into family accommodation as we possibly can.

So this is possibly a bit of a difficult conversation?

Yeah, always is with these ones, but, on this occasion,

I've got to have a bit of a housing officer hat on

and say, "Look, we really need to get this back into our stock."

-OK, well, shall we go, then?

-Yeah, let's have a go.

With 1.3 million people on waiting lists

for social housing in England and a dire need for family homes,

the council's decided a single tenant in a property like this

doesn't make a lot of sense.

But I really don't envy Andrew his job today.

The property we're heading to is in the village of Tostock.

It's been a much-loved home and the family who've lived in it

have never given the council any cause for complaint.

-Hi.

-Do you want to come in?

-Would you mind? Thank you very much.

'So, it's particularly difficult

'for Andrew having to evict daughter Miriam and her dog, Lily,

'so soon after losing her mum.'

Do you know what's happening today?

I'm being served with my notice.

-That's right.

-Four weeks' notice, is it?

That's it, yeah. And you've been here all your life?

-All my life.

-Yeah.

-Born upstairs.

-Yeah.

Born here, yeah. And do you mind me asking how old you are?

-63.

-63.

-Mm-hm.

-So that's a long time, isn't it?

-Yeah.

This house is the only home Miriam's ever known

and the place where she nursed her mother during her final years.

-So are you retired?

-Yeah.

-Well, I actually left work early to look after Mum.

-Yeah.

Because she was poorly.

For years, you've obviously lived with Mum and Dad and you've worked.

I suppose you had quite a lot of money to put away and save?

-Yeah.

-You're in a better position than most people

because you've got some money and if you've got a pension,

-you've got an income.

-Yeah.

'Although Miriam's eligible for social housing,

'her savings mean she's a low priority case.

'It's hard but if she wants to stay in the area

'where she's spent her whole life,

'Miriam's only option is moving into a private rental property,

'and that won't be cheap.'

Once I've paid rent out of my pension, I've worked it out,

I'll have about £65 a month left.

-These are the local rents we're talking about, are they?

-Yeah.

So a two-bedroom flat, 750 a month.

-These are big rents now, aren't they?

-Yeah.

You know, if you start eating into your savings,

-those savings won't last terribly long.

-No.

-Right.

'The situation is clearly painful for both Miriam and Andrew,

'but you can see how a large property like this would be perfect

'for a family in need.'

Having lived here for 63 years,

can you imagine what it's like to live anywhere else?

No. Because I've never known anywhere else.

But it's something I reckon I'll have to get used to, don't you?

We always sort of spoke, me and Mum, you know,

and she's always sort of said, "Well, keep paying the rent.

"They won't throw you out."

-There's so many people that want houses like this...

-Yeah.

..that when the opportunity comes up, they have to take it.

Because I'm not penniless.

No. You have some choice.

-I've worked and saved, yeah.

-Yeah.

-You've just lost your mum.

-Yeah.

You've been through that and now you're going to lose your home.

Have you started to think, you know...?

Nail.

Really?

-Right.

-Yeah.

-Are you all right?

-Yeah.

I think you're being very brave.

What would your mum say?

SHE MOUTHS

-Would she?

-Yes!

I think you're taking it very well, as much as you can.

'I'm absolutely gutted for Miriam, but she's accepted the situation

'and has already started the huge job

'of packing up a lifetime of memories.'

So you're making progress.

-I have.

-You've got bags lined up.

I've got bags everywhere, I have bagged a lot of stuff.

You're making really good progress.

-You're getting ready.

-I'm getting ready.

'There's one obstacle that makes her hunt for a new home

'even more difficult, though -

'finding somewhere where dogs are welcome, too.'

What's the chances of getting somewhere that accept Lily?

How many of them are saying "no dogs"?

Well, the council ones that I've looked at so far.

-They all say no dogs?

-Got a cross on.

'It isn't going to be easy, and now Miriam has just 28 days

'to leave the only place she's ever called home.'

Treat it like an adventure.

I know it's horrible, but treat it...

-I've never had an adventure.

-I know, well, this is it,

we'll try and help make it as easy as possible. Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Time to start thinking about yourself.

-And Lily.

-And the dog.

-And Lily, yeah.

-The dog, yeah.

Are you going to be all right?

-Yeah.

-Good. OK.

-Right.

Andrew, that was possibly the most suitable tenant

I think we've ever come across,

someone that's lived in a house for 63 years,

was born in that house,

keeps the place beautifully and yet we're serving notice on her.

That's just bizarre, isn't it?

I'm much more comfortable in dishing out notices

to people that cause antisocial behaviour,

people that don't pay the rent.

This sort of tears at your heartstrings, doesn't it?

You know, it's one of my worst jobs, I think.

Just goes to show we are fairly desperate for houses like this

when they come up. We need to get a family in here, really,

strictly speaking, and that's what we hopefully will end up doing.

Later, as the eviction date looms,

the reality of her situation starts to hit home for Miriam.

The whole process of moving scares me, really.

Evicting a tenant is rarely straightforward,

but once that tenant has left the property,

it's the job of a housing officer to ensure

it's made ready for the next occupant.

In Stroud, Shane Reece is inspecting

a recently vacated flat on the outskirts of town.

Today, we're going to head up to a property that has been subject

to an eviction about a week ago now

and it's apparently been left in quite a bad state

cos obviously we want to turn around the property

as quickly as possible to get it let.

So far, so good,

but it sounds like Shane might have his hands full with this one.

Apparently, it's packed full of stuff

so basically what I want to do is get in there,

see how bad it actually is and make a decision in terms of us

getting it turned around as quickly as possible,

but also making sure the ex-tenant gets the opportunity

to collect their stuff and everything else.

With the property thought to be empty

apart from the tenant's possessions,

it should be a simple job.

I'm a bit concerned, now.

But it doesn't take long for Shane to find the first issue.

The padlocks fitted by the council aren't doing their job properly.

It looks as though...

..for whatever reason,

it might have actually been cut away with a saw or something,

I'm not quite sure, so if this opens,

obviously they weren't doing anything, which is the case.

So, I'm a little bit concerned now, obviously.

I'm probably going to, er...

..go and have a look,

and I'll check whether there's possibly any sort of damage in there

or anything on top of what already might be in there.

With the previous tenant no longer living here,

Shane has no idea who might be inside.

Hello?

HE KNOCKS

Hello?

I'm just going to check out all the rooms,

just to make sure there's not or hopefully not, er...

Hello?

Oh, hang on.

There's a window open there as well.

That tells me that there might well have been somebody

accessing the property when obviously they shouldn't be.

So all I want to do is just check the other rooms now

and make sure, obviously, there's nobody in there.

Housing officers never really know

what situation they might find themselves in

when they're entering an empty property.

Although Shane was expecting the tenant's flat to be unoccupied,

it seems someone else has been making themselves at home.

So, looking around the property,

there's a few things that ring alarm bells for me, obviously,

like this bread that doesn't look that old

and there's certainly no mould on it or anything,

the fact that there's knives out,

the taps are actually dripping, you know,

it...rings all sorts of alarm bells

that somebody has probably not just broken into the property,

there's a possibility, obviously, they'll still be living in here -

you know, sleeping, eating, everything else -

whilst it was supposed to have been empty.

So, you know, we need to put a stop to that straight away.

Shane's not happy, so he calls for backup.

But before he gets the chance to ring...

FAINT CLATTERING

Hello?

..there's a noise outside the front door.

No.

False alarm.

I was just concerned with us in the living room

that somebody was going to come back in through the front door,

so it doesn't look like they are, which is good news.

But Shane's not taking any chances.

I'm just going to lock that one up a second

whilst we're in, looking around the property,

just because if someone does come through the front door,

it's going to take me a little while

to get out to the front door to confront anybody.

Hi, Colin, you OK?

Yeah, not too bad, not too bad. It looks like somebody's gained access

and there's a possibility somebody might have been living in here.

I don't really want to leave it unsecured, obviously,

for the fear of somebody getting in here and not coming back out.

Yeah, yeah, no problem at all, mate. Cheers, Col. Cheers, mate, bye, bye.

I've taken a little bit of advice off another officer

and to not take any more chances,

I'm going to get a specialist subcontractor to come out

and put on some real heavy-duty security door, basically,

on the front and what I'll do now,

I'll sit at the property or just outside the property

and make sure that nobody hopefully gains access in the interim.

Hopefully, nobody will come back.

Shane's got no choice but to guard the flat by himself

until the workmen can get there,

but it could be hours before backup arrives.

To find that the locks had been snapped off and a window's open,

meaning that somebody's still obviously either living here

or has gained access for whatever reason,

it was a little bit concerning, to be honest.

So I'll just see if we can get it secure as quickly as possible

cos obviously we don't want anybody entering this property at any point.

It's an agonising wait and quite a nerve-racking experience for Shane.

Looking around, there's a lad looking a bit suspicious,

walking around with no top on, as though he's either lost

or he might be looking for somewhere to go,

so I'm just mindful of the fact, with the windows wide open,

that there's a possibility it might be the person

trying to get into the property. As a result of that,

I'm going to shut the windows up now and make the property secure.

It's probably nothing, but I don't want to take any chances.

Easier said than done.

Right, so we've got a window that doesn't shut.

The likelihood is somebody has actually tampered with that window,

so obviously as well as getting the front door made safe,

we're going to have to get the windows made safe

and everything as well.

The rest of the windows seem to be OK,

but Shane's found something even more worrying.

As I'm looking around this property,

I'm coming across quite a few really, really sharp knives.

It's very suspicious and they're placed in places

like just underneath cabinets and underneath the bed

and it just rings even more alarm bells for me.

Coming into the living room, again,

there's just random sort of kitchen knives

and what don't even look like kitchen knives,

other types of knives sort of dotted around the place, really.

And then more concerning by the fact that you actually think,

unbeknownst to us at the time, if there was anybody inside the flat,

you don't want to be coming in to somebody

that perhaps is vulnerable

and there's knives hanging around left, right and centre,

so a bit of a concern. I have been to evictions in the past where,

you know, you get in through the door

and there's people still in the property

so it's a bit of a shock

and then obviously that sort of changes the situation immediately,

and it can sometimes be a little bit volatile,

so you just have to be prepared for anything, really.

Now help's been arranged to secure the property,

Shane's attention turns to the clear-up operation

and readying the flat for new tenants.

It's a massive shame, really,

that the property's been left in such a state

and obviously we got issues in terms of now people accessing it

and everything because the property itself, you know,

it's a two-bedroom flat.

It's not in that bad condition at all, really,

a few repairs in terms of a bit of glazing smashed and stuff,

but it wouldn't take a huge amount of work

once the property's actually emptied out to get this turned around.

I know there's people desperately waiting

to get into a property like this that will look after it.

-Hi, mate, all right?

-Yeah, you OK?

-Yeah, good, man.

-Good.

At last, Shane has backup and they start on making the flat secure.

But what should have been a routine check

has proven costly for the council.

Initially, it's going to cost us £250

just for the call-out for today.

Then they've got to install the door.

We could be looking at about another 250 quid.

There's also the time for myself and Colin,

that's two officers being out here trying to sort the issues out now.

So, I mean, today, you could easily be looking at sort of £1,000

just for somebody sort of gaining and entering the property

and it just means that from the council's point of view,

we're spending money on things that should have already been sorted

and things we shouldn't have to that can't go towards sort of, you know,

something that somebody else would appreciate.

It's a tense day for Shane - rather him than me -

but at least the flat is now secure

and will soon be welcoming new residents.

In Tendring, I'm working with housing officers Rob Goswell

and Ian Kavanagh.

We're off to Brightlingsea today to have a look at a HMO

-that we've been dealing with in the past.

-House in multiple occupation.

-Yes.

-So that means we're looking at a place

that's been split up into bedsits or individual units.

Is it a big one?

It's quite a big one, actually, and when it was first converted,

it was converted to quite a high standard.

-That was approximately about three years ago.

-Yeah.

Probably longer, actually, about four or five.

Yeah, since then the landlord has been increasingly quiet,

which always sends up a bit of alarm signals from us.

If a landlord has gone to ground,

it can suggest their property isn't being properly maintained.

Is that the boiler room?

-Yes.

-Let's have a look.

'One of the skills of a housing officer

'is to look for signs of disrepair and deal with them

'before things get too serious.'

We've got... I don't know if there's anything in there.

'And we haven't even entered the place

'when we spot a potential hazard.'

-That looks like an oil...

-It does, doesn't it?

Like a motor oil canister.

Yeah, there's something in it.

And a bit of wood as well, so it's quite handy...

Yeah, we've got a perfect element there, you know,

to have a little fire.

And this is why it's important that we keep on top of these

with these properties because it's very easy how quickly

these can degrade to a point

and there's been a lot of talk these days of HMOs on the rise, you know,

to help the housing situation, and a lot of landlords

are turning to these to make ends meet,

but they're going the wrong way and they're not maintaining

and they turn... As I say,

this is going to be quite presumptuous,

but they turn into slums quickly.

It's that difference of understanding

that if you want to get that increased income,

you're not just selling the flat on and your responsibilities with it.

When you take it on like an HMO, you're the captain of the ship.

-Yes.

-When you're the landlord, you're in charge of the vessel.

-Yes.

'The question is, is this ship being driven onto the rocks?

'Time to see if anyone's in.'

THEY KNOCK

'No sign of any tenants or the landlord,

'but there is more evidence of dodgy maintenance.'

I'm just sort of not sure what's going on here.

The door's damaged.

What is that? Is that a bathroom?

That's a toilet with a sink and you've got...

Yeah, the door's damaged, the door needs to be replaced.

Because this is a property with multiple tenants,

there are strict health and safety regulations

for the landlord to abide by.

But the state of the communal areas is already ringing alarm bells.

I mean, always our top priority is making sure that this area,

the communal area's like your protective bubble.

If you imagine that like that so if there's a fire in your room,

you can get out your room, get to here

and you know you've got at least half an hour

to get out of the house.

And then it's really important that whoever's managing this

is on the ball because these shared areas,

nobody's going to, you know...

This sort of thing which shouldn't be here,

nobody, none of the residents here are going to think

-they've got responsible for that at all.

-Yeah, absolutely.

So the landlord or managing agent needs to be over the whole thing.

I know it sounds silly, but, you know,

you've got a swivel chair here, this should be fire sterile.

It's quite easy if someone had a fire and someone runs out,

knocks that swivel chair in there and this is all smoking,

someone comes flying down there, you know.

So this is what we've got to get our mind round, kind of like

how could people escape should that event occur.

-Should we shoot up and see if we can...?

-We're not getting any luck.

'Well, at least someone knew we were coming.

'Upstairs, the list of potential fire hazards grows even longer.'

So we've got a sort of utility space here, which...

Has it got a light? Hold on, let's just check that.

-Yeah, that works.

-The light's working.

-But we've got two washer-dryers or a washer and a dryer in there.

-Yeah.

We've got these two working, meant to be nice and safely locked away.

-Self-closer was locked.

-So, basically, white goods,

anything with an electrical supply like that that could go wrong,

could be the source of a fire,

you want to have a fire door separating it

from the rest of the property.

You know, especially something like a dryer has a heating element,

quite likely it could go, you know, and so if it ever did go, you know,

you put your washing in there, you go to work,

that door will close behind you. If it did set on fire,

the smoke would be detected beforehand and everyone can get out,

but if it's wide open, the fire can spread so quickly.

'So fire risk outside - check.

'Unsafe communal areas - check.

'Ineffective fire doors - check.

'And when it comes to the shared toilets...'

See that?

'Well, it seems like it's luck of the draw.'

That signifies peace of mind.

Let's go this way.

This... BOLT RATTLES

No, no.

That does not signify peace of mind.

That is not what you want.

'Coming up, I find out what life is really like

'for the tenants who live here.'

I would say we're probably a category one hazard here,

which is the most significant hazard.

Defending our right to a safe place to live

is the job of housing officers right across the UK.

-You can smell that rubbish still, can't you?

-Yeah.

-Even from here.

It's like a red rag to a bull, isn't it, doing something like that.

'I'm working alongside the men and women that do exactly that.'

You've done a great thing. You've done a superb thing.

Oh, that's not so bad. I've seen worse.

'Hitting the streets, finding out what's happening on the front line.'

The smell around here is really strong.

'As we make sure a house is a fit place to call a home.'

Oh, so you've got a choice.

Yeah. It's a tomahawk of some sort.

The choice of the tomahawk or the bayonet.

So that's a parting shot, basically, is it, from the tenant?

We all know that one of the roles of a housing officer

is to try and get people off the streets into safe and secure homes.

But another equally important part

is to try and keep people in their homes.

Sometimes, that's not as easy as it sounds,

especially when the tenant in question might be struggling.

It's a situation that Stroud tenant Tina and her young son, Kieran,

find themselves in since the property they've been calling home

is no longer suited to their needs.

I had a very nasty injury to my foot in that I fell off a stepladder.

They found out that I'd broken every bone

and pulled all the joints to the side,

so I had to go in and have them realigned.

That got infected so I had to go in and have another operation

and, all told, I've had three now

and they've told me I've got complex regional pain syndrome.

They've tried everything and I've been told

that it's now going to steadily get worse

and then I'm also going to get arthritis in it.

It's completely changed my life.

Quite soul destroying.

Get a plate out and get yourself a bit of chocolate fudge cake.

And Tina's injury has also taken its toll on 12-year-old Kieran.

Not too big a slice cos I know what you're like.

It's been difficult to do it because of my mum's accident

so I've been stuck in here with her,

and while everyone else has been outside playing,

so I haven't been able to join them and start playing.

Since my accident, he's been stuck in with me, really, caring for me,

which has obviously upset me quite considerably,

but he's still a bit nervous about going out and leaving me.

I do really worry about her because, like,

when she's about here, she could fall over and hurt herself,

her foot could be playing up so she could be in really bad pain,

so I worry about how bad the pain is,

like, if she can handle it alone.

Tina used to love her home, but now she feels trapped here.

The main problem is the steps.

As you can see, there's quite a few steps coming up to the house

and that is the most difficult thing for me,

is getting in and out of the house.

Once I'm in, I really don't want to go back out because it's, you know,

going back down the steps, really.

And especially when it's raining

cos I can't go down on my bottom.

Kieran has been so dedicated to the care of his mum,

it's left him little time for himself.

I mean, he's not been able to go out

because we used to do everything together.

We used to bike ride everywhere,

he used to go out and play with his friends.

It's been quite soul destroying.

And I think now is the time for him

to be able to get out there and enjoy life, really.

Desperate to make a new life for her and Kieran,

Tina's asked for the council's help

to find her a more suitable property.

We only need two bedrooms cos we've only got my son and myself,

but it needs to be on a level that I can use my mobility scooter

to get in and out and hopefully, you know,

be able to go out and about again.

Later, after two years of waiting,

there might be light at the end of the tunnel.

I like it, yeah, yeah.

I can see that it's going to look really nice once you've finished.

Back in Tendring, I'm with housing officers Rob and Ian

inspecting an HMO, a house in multiple occupation

and, so far, we're not too impressed.

Yeah, the door's damaged, the door needs to be replaced.

'We thought there was nobody home.

'But, upstairs, a tenant answers their door...'

Hello, Tendring District Council, hiya.

'..and agrees to let us check the conditions inside his flat.'

What we've got concerns with is we want to make sure

that it's kept up to... Cos when it was first done,

it was kept up to a really good standard but, I don't know,

we've just had a little wander round the communal area

and it looks like it's kind getting a little bit shabby in places.

'Apart from the lack of a fire blanket in the kitchen -

'which is a legal requirement by the way...'

If it was, like, a small fire, you could tackle it.

Anything bigger than that, get out, just get out.

-Yeah, don't bother trying to fight it.

-Yeah.

'..this tenant's flat seems in pretty good order.

'But it's a different matter out on the balcony.'

This is far too low.

-Far too low.

-Starting to look at...

Particularly from this height.

I mean, you think how far you could fall there, you know.

So you could easily slip

or even take a misstep off this half step here,

so that's going to increase the likelihood

and the likelihood of going over's even further increased

by the height of it.

And, do you know, it's one of those things

where actually quite beyond the calculations and measuring it,

it's that weird feeling you just get about here, when you...

It's like vertigo. Yeah, I know, it doesn't feel safe.

-That just doesn't quite feel safe.

-Yeah, and it isn't.

I will say it isn't.

And, I mean, I think weighing it up in my mind,

I would say we're probably a category one hazard here,

which is the most significant hazard.

'That category one means the council now has the take action

'to ensure this balcony is made safe as soon as possible.'

Obviously, for the current occupant,

the idea of going through these railings or over the top

might be far-fetched, but when we inspect,

we inspect on the basis of not just the person that's living here now,

but whoever might live here in the future

and you look at that space there and the drop that goes with it

and you imagine a child, a toddler,

coming out here cos it's a lovely day and the sun's shining

and then that doesn't bear thinking about at all.

So, it needs to be dealt with.

It needs to be sorted.

'The next tenant we meet doesn't want to be identified,

'but is unhappy with the state of the property

'and he says he's heard the landlord may have sold the place on.'

They should inform us, that's one of their...

This property's licensed as an HMO

and it is the law that they have to inform us should the owners change.

Now, if they haven't, we need to go down and look at enforcement

because effectively this is an unlicensed HMO if they've done that.

'This place is certainly not the worst HMO

'or house in multiple occupation I've seen,

'but the landlord has got questions to answer

'about his approach to health and safety.

'The team haven't been able to contact him for weeks.

'But now it sounds like he's finally broken cover.'

Yeah, I've just had a phone call from my colleague back at the office

whilst we were looking around here.

The landlord contacted him on my phone

-and was very irate, wasn't happy.

-OK.

So I'm fully expecting that, when I get back to the office

and I speak to the landlord, he's going to be most unimpressed.

But it doesn't take away the fact that there are hazards here.

-Oh, there's issues here.

-You know, and I think, potentially,

he's probably doesn't like the fact that we're coming round

and looking at these issues.

It's worth remembering it's an HMO.

We don't need to give the landlord notice of our visit.

We could just turn up here and do a snap inspection.

But you've chosen to notify him.

-Of course we have.

-Of course, yeah.

Through respect and working with the landlord.

We have, it appears, a very angry landlord

who we may or may not get to see.

But it would be good just to point out to him

possibly the fact if you're running an HMO,

a big building full of people,

you're responsible for that, you're the captain of the ship,

so you've got to take it seriously. Let's hope he does.

'Well, despite our best attempts,

'we've been unable to reach the landlord.

'However, the good news for the tenants at that property

'is that since our visit, the landlord has now completed

'the majority of work highlighted by Rob and Ian.'

Earlier, we met Tina,

who was struggling to cope with the steps to her property

after an accident badly damaged her foot.

I fell off a stepladder.

They found out that I'd broken every bone

and pulled all the joints to the side.

They've now told me I've got complex regional pain syndrome.

They've tried everything and I've been told

that I'm also going to get arthritis in it.

Tina's 12-year-old son, Kieran, helps to care for her

as she finds it difficult to cope alone.

I worry about how bad the pain is, like, if she can handle it alone.

But after two years of waiting,

it sounds like there's some good news,

courtesy of housing officers Elaine and Zoe.

They've found a recently-vacated bungalow

that, with some refurbishment,

could be perfect for Tina and Kieran.

And this is their first look at a potential new home.

-So we think this is the bedroom in here.

-OK.

So, obviously, when we refurbish it, we'll take all the wallpaper off.

-The bathroom, this is what I wanted to ask you about.

-Yes.

'I don't normally show tenants around, that's not my remit,

'but because of the circumstances,'

it was better to meet her than for her to move in

and another team come along and do the adaptations

that she may have needed to be able to access her home.

It's looking good. Tina seems happy,

but, now, let's have a look at Kieran's potential bedroom.

Will it get his approval?

This would be yours, then.

So, again, we'd strip the wallpaper, remove the carpet.

Unless you like the wallpaper and want to keep it.

-It's going to be your room.

-No? Don't...?

At her present property,

Tina's unable to use the mobility scooter that she relies upon.

But this bungalow is much better suited to her needs.

I think it's very nice.

Obviously, you've got to use your imagination a bit

and see the full potential.

This is going to be wonderful,

being able to get out and see my friends at long last.

Fair play to the council, they've got me a nice property.

So Tina's a happy customer.

It's a great result for Elaine and Zoe.

That was satisfying.

She seemed quite pleased.

She was happy with everything.

We were able to discuss items that we wanted to, we can meet her needs,

which is a win-win situation.

Now they've got the go-ahead from Tina,

they can start to get the house ready for her arrival.

Thinking probably six to eight weeks on this one,

just because of the amount of properties we've got at the moment

and the work that needs doing in here.

It's actually quite a tidy property,

just needs a little bit of modernisation.

And thanks for your help with the kitchen.

That's fine, that's fine. Go and sort your bedroom out now, then.

Yeah. Go and declutter.

Thank you.

Relocating to a bungalow

will greatly improve Tina's quality of life.

But she's not the only one who's looking forward to the move.

I'm excited because I had my mum's accident so I've been stuck at home

looking after her so, yeah, when we go to this new place,

she'll be able to look after herself,

so I can just go out and play with all of my friends.

But, unfortunately, Tina and Kieran are having to wait

a little bit longer for their happy ending.

After further investigation of the property,

the kitchen area hasn't proved to be suitable for Tina's mobility issues.

So, together with the council, the search continues.

But, hopefully, it won't be too long

before mother and son are enjoying a more suitable property.

'Earlier, in Suffolk, I met Miriam Rose,

'who was being evicted from the council house

'she's lived in for over 60 years because she wasn't eligible

'to take over the tenancy after her mother passed away.'

-Are you all right?

-Yeah.

I think you're being very brave.

She's desperate to stay in the village

where she's spent her whole life.

So, for now, her only option is to find private rented accommodation

that will accept her dog, Lily, and that's no easy task.

We've got to find a house.

Shall we go and look at this one?

Well, I could, couldn't I?

That one we can't because it says no pets.

I want something nice. I mean, I've worked hard all my life.

Left school at 15 and worked till I was over 60.

I thought my retirement was going to be different to this.

Sad.

It's a heartbreaking situation,

but there are families who really need this type of property

and, sadly for Miriam and Lily, the council has no choice.

I feel sort of stunned that I've got to pack everything up

now I've sorted all Mum's affairs out,

now I've got to pack up everything and move somewhere.

God knows where.

To do that, I'll have to go private.

And with just 28 days to move out, it's a daunting prospect.

The whole process of moving scares me, really.

It is scary cos I'm not an adventurous person.

It's a process made even harder

because it isn't just possessions she's having to pack up.

It's a lifetime of memories, too.

This is the room where I was born, yes.

There's a lot of photographs.

That was Mum and Dad's wedding.

Down Tostock church.

That's where they're buried

and I've got the plot next to them,

which I bought when we lost Dad 18 years ago

and now I've now paid for my funeral and made my will.

So, that's where I'm going.

And that's me.

That was out in the front garden.

Mum always did my hair.

She looked after me so, when it was my turn, I looked after her.

That's right, isn't it?

I did wonder if I would get married and move out,

but it never happened so here I am still.

63 years.

Miriam had just four weeks to find somewhere new to live,

but despite her fears and against all the odds,

they're's been a positive development.

Housing officer Andrew is on his way back to see her.

She's got herself a private rented property in the same village,

which she's very happy with so it all seems good and, to be fair,

the person who's renting the bungalow

will have a blooming good tenant on their hands

because she'll look after the place and pay the rent,

so she's ideal, really.

It's a fantastic outcome and not just for her.

It's good for the council as a whole

because we get a family home back in stock

and we're able to rehouse a family from the housing register.

HE LAUGHS

Oh, wow! You've got a lovely place here.

-Well, come in.

-Thank you very much. So this is your new home.

-Go in, have a look.

-Thank you. Oh, wow!

Yeah, very nice. It all happened so quickly.

Yeah, we haven't sorted the curtains in this room yet.

-You've done really well. You've done really well, you know.

-Yeah.

It's hard to imagine how Miriam was feeling a month ago,

but she's faced up to the reality

of losing the only home she's ever known with real grace.

This is my bedroom.

You've got a really nice spot, haven't you?

-It's nice, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's lovely, yeah.

The rent's a lot more, though.

Yeah. I was going to say. Dare I ask, or...?

-Don't ask.

-Don't ask, OK!

I won't ask, then!

It might be costing more than her old home,

but that seems to be the only downside

because this place is absolutely lovely.

Once you've made it and put a stamp on it,

-then it's your home, isn't it?

-That's it, yeah.

And Miriam's new landlord is planning some major renovations

that will make it even nicer.

But they're going to renew all the bathroom and the toilet

and put that all into one.

You know, you've worked with us really, really well.

-That's good.

-So well done.

-Thank you.

-We're really pleased.

-Thank you.

-Yeah, well done.

-I'm really pleased about that.

-Thank you.

It's really good to see you all happy and that.

-I'll shut the gate, shall I?

-Yes, please.

Having to tell Miriam that she had to leave

the only home she'd ever known was never going to be an easy job,

so today's visit has been a big relief for Andrew.

It's actually nice to see her settled,

and she's got a beautiful spot here as well.

She's got back on the housing register,

which she's entitled to do,

and if something comes up in the village later on,

she'd be able to bid for it.

It's all good in the end. She's probably the nicest person

I've had to serve a notice of seeking possession on

in my career in housing.

And it sounds like her mum would have approved.

I used to walk mum round in the wheelchair

and we always sort of admired this little bungalow

and said, "What a lovely outlook!"

Even if it is taking a bit of getting used to...for everyone.

Well, a bit strange at the moment

and I've had, like, butterflies in my tummy,

but, yeah, it's not too bad.

What do you think, Lily? You were a bit scared, weren't you, at first?

You was. Are you getting used to it, babe?

It's clear that, even though the job of a housing officer can be tough,

it's certainly never dull.

Every front door offers a different challenge.

So join me next time, when I'll be back on the front line

with the men and women across the UK fighting for your right

to a safe and secure place to call home.