Homeless man slams town hall in housing row
A MAN suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and left homeless for the past month claims he has had ‘disgraceful’ treatment while trying to secure a council house.
Peter Davenport says he has been homeless for the last month and has been trying to secure a suitable home for himself and his eight-year-old son for the last 16 months, but said he has had no luck with his local authority, Trafford council.
He says his doctor has sent letters to the council to try and assist his application to secure suitable housing but, after a number of months, still has not had any joy.
Mr Davenport has now enlisted the help of his MP, Sir Graham Brady, who confirmed he has taken on Mr Davenport’s case to try and resolve the situation.
The council said they are more than willing to help the father and need him to go into their offices with a copy of his tenancy agreement proving that his previous tenancy has come to an end.
But Mr Davenport claims he’d submitted a copy of the document to the council, the Job Centre and the Citizens Advice Bureau in paper form, as far back as July last year.
Some years ago, Mr Davenport witnessed a car crash and says he was diagnosed with PTSD by his doctor soon afterwards.
He says he also suffers from emphysema and knee problems, among other health problems.
Mr Davenport said his current lack of a permanent address and housing woes has driven a wedge between him and his child. He added: “My eight-year-old, it’s affecting him. I used to see him three nights a week, but since becoming homeless that’s gone down to two hours a week at my mum’s.
“I’m homeless, I’ve got nowhere to go. I’ve had three letters sent to Trafford from my doctor, explaining my mental and physical needs, and it’s got me absolutely nowhere.”
Mr Davenport met with council officers from Housing Options Service Trafford (HOST) at the authority’s offices in Sale on January 13 to discuss securing a suitable place to live, but he claims the meeting did not end well.
He said: “I broke down, I told them we’re going round in circles, it’s been 16 months and you’re not even doing your job.”
Council officers accused Mr Davenport of becoming aggressive and threatening towards them, something he denies, and asked him to leave.
Mr Davenport added: “All I’m asking for is a roof over my head, it’s disgraceful and I’ve dealt with a lot of things.”
Sir Graham Brady confirmed his involvement in trying to find a solution to the situation.
A spokesperson for Trafford council said: “We can only help Mr Davenport if he is able to cooperate with us and provide the correct information, including a letter from his landlord stating his tenancy has come to an end.”