Housing List Aplication

RCIRL

I have just returned form a visit to my Co Council to submit my application for Housing. I am more interested in rent allowance to tie me over until I return to work but I have to be on the Housing list before its even considered.

When I arrived at the housing section, how I was greeted set the mood for the entire conversation. The rep looked at the form and said "what are you doing applying here? your from x so why don't you go and apply in x?" I said to the rep I am receiving JSA here so I am entitled to apply here also during a past conversation with another rep, I was told I can apply here and elsewhere at the same time. The reps answers was "who told you that?"

So on the rep went looking through the form and asked was I single and when I said yes you could tell straight away the rep had lack of interest.

When the rep got to the section of property, I was asked do you own a property after I said yes that was the end of it and I was told you cant own a property and have a Co Council house.

I told the rep the property was part of an unfinished development on which the builder went bust and left the country, I cant afford the mortgage and I cant afford to finish the property, I am left with no choice but to put the property on the market. My circumstances have changed and I believe I am entitled to be on the list. The rep then said I wont be entitled until the property is sold, I said the property may not sell for some time and I was then given the tuff luck response.

I said this is not acceptable and I would like the application to be processed. I now have to obtain a copy of the deeds and take pictures of the property but I was told it still may not help my case. The application form is ridiculous, I have to provide additional information which is not part of the application form to assist my case, I shouldn't have to do this.

So in the Co Councils eyes your not able to apply for housing if your an unemployed single adult male. If you have a property that you cant afford to pay the mortgage on plus unsuitable to live in, its tuff you have to live in it or just stay with your parents but if your too old for that see if a mate will put you up until you get your self sorted.

The only way they will put you on the list is, have the bank repossess the property and over stay your welcome with your parents and mates, then sleep rough for a while until your placed in a shelter for a few months. If you cant do the above, find a way to have a sex change and get your self pregnant or you could counterfeit your passport and some how turn yourself into a Refugee.

The entire system is atrocious, I feel like going to the head of the Co Council and lodging a formal complaint against this rep and to notify of the application form being discriminant, even contacting a local politician but I cant see doing this will get me anywhere because they all seem to be part of the same gang, having said that I am still going to try.

I have been working all my life and just this year I find myself in a situation which has noting to do with me yet I have to continually allow suffering to add up. All I am asking for is to be able to avail of some rent allowance which will allow me to have a small bit of comfort, living like a human being while I continue to search for work. Having to go and ask for this is hard enough never mind being discriminated against and treated like some from of a criminal.

Its terrible how the system is being run.