COVID-19 and homelessness
If you are facing street homelessness as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, our team of housing clerks are on hand to provide you with support, guidance and information on organisations that will be able to assist you. If you do require assistance please don’t hesitate to contact our dedicated housing clerks who will be able to point you in the right direction. The clerks can be contacted on 020 74009025, or at r.finch@doughtystreet.co.uk / e.norman@doughtystreet.co.uk.
The Housing and Social Welfare Team offers a comprehensive service on all housing related issues including homelessness, allocations, possession actions, anti-social behaviour, disrepair, unlawful eviction and housing benefit. More widely, all members of the Team advise in the linked areas of community care, Children Act cases, eligibility, disability, discrimination and mental health. The Team is closely associated with Doughty Street's other specialist teams, notably the Immigration, Mental Health and Court of Protection teams, and the Community Care and Health Team.
The Team also covers residential property law, appearing regularly in the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal and covering a breadth of work including service charge disputes, leasehold enfranchisement, undue influence cases and TOLATA cases. The Team acts in group actions in housing, environment and planning cases, doing so on behalf of tenants and residents, including squatters and residential tenancy groups. The Team includes trained mediators and team members can assist in housing and social welfare law mediations.
Doughty Street Chambers is a leader in the human rights field and underlying all our work is a commitment to human rights, equality and diversity.
We are extensively involved in legal services developments. Members of Chambers are on the executives of or otherwise involved with the Housing Law Practitioners Association, the Administrative Law Bar Association, the Human Rights Law Association, the Social Security Practitioners Association, the Immigration Law Practitioners Association, the Environmental Law Foundation and the Public Law Project.
Team members have appeared at all levels of the justice system from tribunals to the Supreme Court. Whether clients need a silk, a leading junior or a senior junior, the strength and depth of the team is well noted by Chambers and Partners. Our clerks have extensive experience of courts and tribunals at all levels. As a result of the large number of applications for judicial review handled by Doughty Street Chambers, the clerks have detailed knowledge of the practice and procedure of the Administrative Court and can assist in listing emergency applications.
Members of the Team are regular speakers at housing and social welfare conferences and events. The Team also provides a rolling seminar programme at Doughty Street which is open to all solicitors and practitioners free of charge. The team is also happy to discuss any specific in-house training requirements that firms or organisations might have.
What the directories say
Chambers and Partners 2024 - Band 1
"Doughty Street is an excellent set of chambers, with a wide range of barristers providing great breadth as well as depth. Particularly strong in areas of overlapping housing law and discrimination."
"Doughty Street are a dynamic and innovative chambers which cover complementary practice areas."
The Legal 500 2024 - Tier 1
"Doughty Street always provides top quality counsel."
"A wide selection of extremely experienced and knowledgeable barristers."
"An excellent social housing team."
Chambers and Partners 2023 - Band 1
"A hugely skilled and broad range of experience at this set. It is unrivalled for housing law in the UK."
"Doughty Street is the first place I go when a complex issue comes up on one of my cases. All the counsel I have instructed at the set have been able to deal, often at short notice, with procedurally and legally complex cases very effectively."
The Legal 500 2023 - Tier 1
"Doughty Street is a key chambers when it comes to housing law, with several committed and knowledgeable barristers."
"Good strength in depth. The barristers are among the most committed and high-calibre working in tenant social housing."
"The clerks are the best. They always try and find the right barrister for the case."
The public law team have an established rota system whereby counsel are available every day to undertake out of hours judicial review applications.
The rota system can be accessed through the clerks on 07713 168999
For further details on the rota or any other client care issues, please contact the clerks.
Practice Manager, Rachel Finch r.finch@doughtystreet.co.uk
Practice Assistant, Emily Norman e.norman@doughtystreet.co.uk
For more information please speak to Sian Wilkins or Rachel Finch from our practice management team.
Housing, Social Welfare & Property Team Webinar Material
Our legal experts in the Housing, Social Welfare & Property team have been providing insightful webinars on the most relevant topics during COVID-19 to help keep you informed during this difficult time.
To access all of the teams previous webinar recordings and slides, click here.
