By Rob McLaren

A FORFAR FAMILY face the prospect of being made homeless a month before Christmas after being let down on a promise made by Angus Council that they could stay permanently in their temporary accommodation.

Stewart and Elizabeth Simpson and their three children have lived in temporary accommodation in Lowson Avenue for the last 10 months.

Elizabeth claims that four months ago she was advised by her tenancy support officer their residence was going to be changed into a tenancy property and they would be allowed to stay as tenants.

She said she was asked to fill out an expenses form, which she completed, to prove the family could afford the rent for the place.

But a month later she received an offer of another home, in Viewmount, and then a property in Lordburn Place, both of which she refused because they had been told they could stay in their current address.

She has now been told to vacate her Lowson Avenue home by the end of the month and that because the properties in Viewmount and Lordburn Place had been refused, the family had made itself ‘intentionally homeless’.

Elizabeth, who is employed by Angus Council to clean offices, said, “We were told that our house was being created into a tenancy and that we would be allowed to stay and rent the property.

“We were thrilled as our three boys are very settled here and we started decorating the house.

“We were waiting for the papers to come through to sign for tenancy at Lowson Avenue when, a month later, we received a letter asking us to view a property at Viewmount. I thought that the letter was a mistake.

“We contacted our tenancy support officer who said she’d look into it but it was probably best that we go and view it anyway.

“I looked at Viewmount. It was full of damp and there were drug dealers outside. People were shouting out of windows at each other. It wasn’t a place for a family.

“We were told by the tenancy support officer later that day that we were told that the council had changed its mind about giving us tenancy of our home.

“Then we were offered Lordburn Place even though we had told the council we didn’t want to move there. The area is full of drug users and was not a nice property.

“We were then told that because we had refused these two properties we had made ourselves intentionally homeless and we now have until the end of the month to leave.

“I feel disgusted. We’ve been fobbed off when we have tried to contact the housing department about our situation. We could end up living in a car because of them.”

A spokesperson for Angus Council said, “Angus Council does not comment on individual cases. The council follows a strict policy and procedure as laid down by legislation and guidance and decisions are made in accordance with these processes.

“The council always seeks to ensure that all cases are dealt with in accordance with the law and as sympathetically as possible.”