Former nurse living in a tent after council say she’s ‘not a priority’ for housing

A woman has told how she was given a tent and food vouchers by council staff after being told she’s not a ‘priority need’ for emergency housing. 

Olivia Hill, 33, says she was branded as ‘high risk’ for shared accommodation because of her mental health.

And she claims she was also told by the NHS she couldn’t be admitted to a hospital because she didn’t meet its criteria – leaving her in limbo and on the streets.

Ms Hill – who told the Manchester

She claims High Peak Borough Council initially suggested she pitch the tent she was given around Woodhead Reservoir, near Longdendale.

She said she’s been left feeling ‘broken and distraught’ – and has no money.

Ms Hill said: ‘I don’t meet mental health criteria despite having an extensive mental health history, including borderline personality disorder.

‘Now they’ve left me with a tent and a food bag as I’m not a priority apparently for housing. The mental health team at the hospital won’t admit me, and the council won’t house me because I’m a mental health risk. I’m apparently not eligible for a house, but a tent on public land is fine.

‘It is disgusting from the local council in my opinion. How they can say I am not vulnerable, I have no idea.’

Ms Hill – who said she was a former registered nurse – became homeless at the start of the month, having been living in Glossop with family. She said she spent time in a hostel in Manchester, then one in Cornwall, before returning to Glossop. She’s single with no children.

She said she’s claiming benefits, the lowest amount of Universal Credit, but expects her benefits to be increased next month.

‘I spent all my money on hostels and came back to Glossop with no money,’ she said. ‘I applied to High Peak Borough Council and told them that I was homeless and vulnerable, and had no money. I also told them that I had had hospital stays.’

‘Two or three weeks ago, I also asked to be admitted to the hospital, but was told I do not meet the admission criteria and needed to be managed in the community. They discharged me knowing that I was homeless.’

She made a homeless application on June 9. In a document from the council, Ms Hill shared with the Manchester Evening News, the council said she had been ‘issued with a not in priority need decision’.

They said they would continue ‘with trying to relieve your homelessness as part of the ongoing relief duty which has yet to come to an end’.

The council, in its determination, said it was ‘not satisfied’ she was vulnerable as defined, and said it would be referring her to a housing association ‘for additional support in sourcing housing and placing bids for social housing’.

Ms Hill said she didn’t know when ‘ongoing duty relief’ would end. ‘Instead, they brought me a tent and a sleeping bag and apologized,’ she said.

‘The homeless team will not house me in a shared home because they believe I am too high-risk because of my mental health.’

Ms Hill said the tent and food were given to her by the council in the car park of a B&M Bargains store. But she said she can’t consume some of the food because she has no cooking equipment, and was also given vouchers for Tesco and Greggs.

‘I was sleeping in my car for three days before I got the tent,’ she said. ‘I have asked for emergency accommodation, but they said that I do not meet the criteria. I have no children, and I am not fleeing domestic abuse.

‘But I have been in a mental health crisis on and off for a month. Apparently, I do not need a hospital admission, but I am too unstable to go into a home. I do not know how the council can say I am not vulnerable.

‘I have been completely failed by the NHS and local government.’

Ms Hill said the council’s homelessness team were continuing to check on her welfare, where she’s camping.

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