The human face behind the number of people waiting for social housing in South Kesteven
Every week hundreds of people enter a ‘competition’ to win a new home.
The outcome isn’t random - it’s the method used by councils to help people on the housing register to find a suitable home.
One of those taking part in this process is 26-year-old Nathan Bragan, who lives in Oakham and is trying to return to his home town of Stamford.
Nathan, who is diagnosed with autism and psychosis, has been in a ‘sheltered living’ flat in Oakham for four years.
He is prescribed up to 30 tablets a day and needs a regular injection to help manage his fragile mental health.
But this doesn’t stop him wanting to return to work and on moving to Stamford he wants to volunteer, then find a paid job enabling him to contribute to society.
Nathan, who first became ill when he was 18, suffered a major setback to his health on Monday and is currently in hospital.
But the previous week he had been well enough to visit his mum and 17-year-old sister at their home in Stamford, to talk about why he would like to move.
Eloquent and quietly spoken, Nathan said he feels isolated in Oakham and that the busy location of his flat contributes to bouts of paranoia, particularly when there are noises outside at night.
“I’ve been trying to move since January and I only need a bedsit or one-bedroom property,” he said.
“I want to live a normal life and being in Stamford would help me. It would mean being near my family and I could go to MindSpace, Second Helpings and the day centre.
“I need to do things and I would like to volunteer or work. At the moment I’m bored at home all day. It just gives me more time with my thoughts.
“In Oakham I get paranoid and depressed and I have phases when I hear voices talking about me.”
Nathan is aware there is a stigma attached to psychosis, a term for when someone loses contact with reality and might hear sounds or see things that are not there.
This is, in part, down to film and TV show portrayals of people with illnesses such as paranoid schizophrenia as being violent or out of control. But Nathan has never hurt anyone during his episodes of illness.
When it comes to the housing register, he is assessed as being in band 2, which puts him alongside 316 others seeking social housing in South Kesteven.
His mum, a shop assistant in Stamford, is trying to get Nathan moved into the higher priority band 1. A review earlier this year determined he should remain in band 2, but his recent hospitalisation may prompt a renewed look at his housing needs.
It seems common sense to Anna that Nathan moves to Stamford as quickly as possible.
She feels the cost to the taxpayer of him being in hospital for weeks could have been avoided if he were living within walking distance of her support, which she could provide at night, as well as company during the day.
“He wants his independence because he’s a young man who has lived away from home,” she said. “He doesn’t want to come back and live with his mum.
“But if he’s in Stamford I can support him much more easily, and so can his sister. He can come around for tea and talk to us, and there is more for him here, with MindSpace and the day centre on the doorstep.”
Anna has been in touch with Vision Day Support and Options Day Care, both based in Stamford and places Nathan could attend to take part in meaningful activities.
Nathan’s 17-year-old sister Jess has been visiting Nathan a couple of times a week at his home in Oakham, but she doesn’t drive, is still in education, and works one day a week.
Virginia Moran (Ind), cabinet member for housing at South Kesteven District Council, said they were aware of Nathan’s circumstances and wishes, adding: "There is considerable demand for one and two-bed accommodation in and around Stamford and we do our very best to support requests and match applicants with suitable properties when they become available.”
She explained that band 2 currently has 317 applicants, while the higher priority band 1 has 216.
The application process involves logging into the SK Home Choice website and expressing interest in - or ‘bidding’ for - eligible properties being advertised.
This allows applicants to rule out homes for their own reasons, such as location, simply by not bidding.
The council then considers applicants who put in a bid, comparing when they were accepted into their eligibility band. It is at this stage that length of time on the waiting list comes into play. Nathan has been waiting since January 11.
Coun Moran said: “There are 19 unoccupied district council properties in Stamford being made ready for letting, nine of which Nathan would be eligible to apply for.
"In Stamford, the council has 1,166 social housing properties. Within this total are 418 one-bedroom flats and 121 two-bedroom flats, either category Mr Bragan could be considered for.
"The council’s allocations process, introduced in November 2023, has a strong focus on providing social housing for those who are most in need, offering up the most suitable properties for their requirements.
“Applicants can see the properties advertised online, see where they would be on the shortlist if a bid is made, see existing bids on properties and know the outcome of an allocation."
There are 5,801 council-owned properties in South Kesteven and 533 people waiting in bands 1 and 2.
Nathan receives housing benefit and a personal independence payment (Pip), which is the new disability living allowance, to help pay for a support worker.
Kerry Regis from Stamford is Nathan’s support worker and she believes he would be better off living closer to family and friends.
Letters in support of him moving to Stamford have also been provided by Nathan’s doctor and his current housing provider in Oakham, who have said he has always paid his rent on time and that there have been no incidents of anti-social behaviour.
