Dad to sue town hall after it booted him off housing waiting list

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

A dad has vowed to take a town hall to court after it booted him off the housing waiting list – leaving him and his two kids sharing a cramped room indefinitely.

A year after Lewisham council tried to evict Anthony Brathwaite from his temporary home, the dad-of-two has said he wants a judge to decide whether his family should get a council home. 

Mr Brathwaite, his disabled son, 11, and his daughter of the same age, have been living in a one-bedroom temporary flat in Lewisham since May 2019.

In September last year, bailiffs sent by the council twice tried to force his family out of the home after officials ruled Mr Brathwaite, 39, was not eligible for council housing, but they were unsuccessful.

The dad-of-two, who works as a bus driver, says the one-bed flat is too small for his family and now wants Lewisham to put him back on the list for a council home.

He said: “The only way that I’m going to get back on that list is if I take the council to court and the judge decides to put me on the bidding system. It’s about me being treated fairly. 

“My daughter is now at secondary school. It’s hard for her when she comes home if she has homework to do because it’s just one room. It causes anxiety to her not having the space and knowing Lewisham has tried to evict us from the property.”

Mr Brathwaite moved out of his former home – a council property in his name – in 2017 after his marriage broke down.

In June last year, Mr Brathwaite received a letter from Lewisham council informing him that officials had ruled he had made himself intentionally homeless when he had left the home he shared with his ex-wife.

He was handed an eviction letter and kicked off Lewisham’s council housing waiting list.

Mr Brathwaite said: “They said I made myself homeless but I never understood what the phrase ‘intentionally homeless’ meant.

“They offered me private accommodation in Greenwich but it was £1,300 per month, without bills and council tax included. In the job I’m in I’m not earning that kind of money.”

Mr Brathwaite has launched a fundraiser to raise money to cover the legal fees for his court battle against the council. Supporters have so far donated £1,302, just over a fifth of Mr Brathwaite’s £5,000 target. 

A Lewisham council spokeswoman said: “There is not an impending eviction against Mr Brathwaite. We are working with Mr Brathwaite to support him to move into permanent housing in the private rented sector, as he is not eligible for social housing.

“With over 10,000 households on our housing waiting list, we have to prioritise our limited supply of social housing for those most in need. We work closely with residents who are not eligible for social housing to help them to find alternative accommodation and ensure they have a safe and secure place to live.”

Pictured inset: Anthony Brathwaite has vowed to take Lewisham Council to court (Picture: Anthony Brathwaite)