Ofori-Addo (Appellant) v London Borough of Haringey (Respondent)

Permission to Appeal application lodged

Case summary
Permission to Appeal
Previous proceedings

Case summary

Case ID

UKSC/2025/0092

Parties

Appellant(s)

Socrattes Ofori-Addo

Respondent(s)

London Borough of Haringey

Issue

When a local authority makes a decision about the duties it owes a homeless individual and that decision is reviewed, must the local authority conduct a broad review of all aspects of the earlier decision and identify all duties which may be owed?

Facts

The Appellant, Ms Ofori-Addo, is a single mother with two disabled sons aged 19 and 11 years old. In 2019, the Appellant applied to the Respondent, London Borough of Haringey, for assistance with housing under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 (the “1996 Act”). The London Borough of Haringey Children and Young Persons Services found that due to the children’s disabilities and housing needs, the family required a three-bedroom house. In July 2021, the Respondent determined that it owed a relief duty to the Appellant under section 189B of the 1996 Act, which arises when the applicant is determined to be homeless and eligible for assistance. On 26 July 2021, the Respondent made an interim accommodation offer to the Appellant, which the Appellant accepted. On 13 September 2021, the Respondent followed up with a final accommodation offer of a three-bedroom house. The Appellant rejected the property as she did not consider it suitable for her family. The Appellant requested that the Respondent review the accommodation offer under section 202 of the 1996 Act, which provides a right of review for a local authority decision. On 20 January 2022, the review decision found that the accommodation was suitable and asserted that the Respondent’s relief duty under section 189B of the 1996 Act had come to an end and the section 193 duty under the 1996 Act (duty to persons with priority need who are not homeless intentionally) did not apply. The effect of this determination was that the Appellant would not receive any further accommodation offers and was evicted from her interim accommodation on 17 February 2022. The Appellant brought an appeal in the County Court against the Respondent’s decision of 20 January 2022. The Respondent withdrew its decision and agreed to undertake a new review. On that basis, the Appellant’s appeal was dismissed. On 7 June 2023, the Respondent upheld its decision and stated that the duty to help provide the Appellant with accommodation had now come to an end (“the Decision”). The Appellant issued proceedings in the County Court challenging the Decision. The County Court dismissed the appeal. The Appellant appealed to the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal. The Appellant now appeals to the Supreme Court.