Richmond Council left a pregnant domestic abuse survivor in an 'unsuitable' hostel where she had to share facilities with men.

The council has agreed to pay the woman £3,500, after she was left in mixed-sex accommodation with shared facilities for more than a year.

A new Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman report found the council delayed processing the woman's homeless application, which left her in unsuitable accommodation for more than a year.

It said the woman, referred to only as Miss X, had to chase the authority for progress on her application, which added to her distress and frustration.

Miss X applied to the council as homeless in August 2023, while she was pregnant and fleeing domestic abuse.

Richmond Council did not accept the relief duty for Miss X and offer her interim accommodation until September – in a mixed-sex hostel with shared facilities – despite her saying she had nowhere to stay.

Miss X raised concerns about the hostel a month later, adding that she was experiencing problems with her pregnancy and needed to be closer to family.

The council offered Miss X mixed-sex, interim accommodation in another hostel closer to her family which she accepted, although she still had to share facilities with men.

The council accepted the main housing duty for Miss X in December, meaning it was legally obliged to provide her with suitable housing, and told her of this in January 2024.

She gave birth that month and requested a suitability review of the accommodation in February.

The council ruled the accommodation was unsuitable for Miss X, after carrying out the review, due to her experience of domestic abuse. It told her of its decision in August 2024 and moved her into self-contained accommodation in February 2025.

The ombudsman slammed the council for delays in its processing of Miss X's homeless application and 'generally poor communication'.

 It found the council should have accepted the main housing duty for her in October 2023, within 56 days of accepting the relief duty, which delayed her right to a review and left her in unsuitable accommodation.

The report said: "Miss X told the council from the start that due to her fleeing domestic abuse, she felt uncomfortable and unsafe sharing facilities in a mixed hostel.

"Although the council moved Miss X between hostels, the circumstances remained the same. In August 2024, the council confirmed the accommodation was unsuitable when it carried out a review.

"Miss X informed the council on various occasions about the problems she had sharing facilities with men.

"I have seen no evidence that the council reviewed the information and made a new decision on the suitability of the property in relation to it being mixed and shared facilities.

"It just said that other pregnant women/families lived in mixed shared accommodation.

"It did not consider Miss X's individual circumstances and the impact that her domestic abuse experience had on her ability to live in a property with men. This was only considered as part of the review in August 2024. This was fault."

The council agreed to apologise to Miss X for its failings and pay her £3,500 overall, including £3,250 for the time she spent in unsuitable accommodation and £250 for the distress caused by its poor communication.

A Richmond Council spokesperson said: "Richmond Council aims to deliver high standards of support to all residents who approach us for housing assistance.

"We have accepted the ombudsman's findings and have taken steps to address the issues raised.

" Our priority remains to work closely with residents and partners to ensure that individuals facing homelessness receive the support they need, including access to appropriate emergency accommodation and long-term housing solutions."