Council forced to house woman who refused flat

A JUDGE has ordered the council to house a single mother and her three children – despite the fact she refused the offer of a flat because it was too far away from family, friends and clients.

Beautician, Muslima Begum, 28, was facing eviction from her rented home in Asholme Close, Hodge Hill, and pleaded with the council to help her.

Birmingham City Council accepted she was in priority need of housing, and offered her a new home in Heanor Croft, Aston, three miles way.

But she claimed that was too far away from her family, friends and clients.

Another complaint about the Heanor Croft address was that the flat was up two flights of steps.

That would make it very difficult to manoeuvre a pushchair upstairs and could “put the children’s safety at risk”. If forced to move into the “unsuitable” flat, her life would be “almost impossible”, she said.

She refused the offer, so the council told her she would not get another.

Now, however, Judge David Grant has intervened on Ms Begum’s behalf and ordered the council to urgently reconsider her case.

Upholding her judicial review challenge, Judge Grant said there were “14 substantial steps” leading up to the flat.

And a council reviewing officer had mistakenly said there was only one flight of steps, when in fact there were two. There was nothing “implausible” about Ms Begum’s concerns, he added.

Birmingham City Council was ordered to reconsider her homelessness application in the light of the judge’s ruling.