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Birmingham woman handed Community Order for tenancy fraud (17 May 2017)

Date: 17/05/2017
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Birmingham woman handed Community Order for tenancy fraud

A woman from Newtown in Birmingham has been prosecuted by Birmingham City Council, after fraudulently applying for a council home in the city.

In April, Noleen Odhiambo, 53 – also known as Noleen Onyilimba – was found guilty of two fraud offences. The court heard that Odhiambo had falsely completed a homeless application form in September 2015, by not declaring the full circumstances of her eviction from a housing association property in Rickman Drive in Highgate. She also failed to declare that she owned another property.

The information came to light when the housing association which had evicted Odhiambo – Family Optima – contacted Birmingham City Council.

Officers at the council then referred the case to the Application Fraud Team, which investigated – Odhiambo was not granted a council tenancy, but was placed in temporary accommodation before the fraud offences were uncovered.

At Birmingham Magistrates’ Court, Odhiambo was handed a 12-month Community Order for the offences.

After sentencing, Birmingham City Council’s director of housing, Robert James, said:

“At a time when we have thousands of genuinely homeless families in Birmingham in dire need of a council house and temporary accommodation, Odhiambo decided to try and exploit the system for her own financial gain.

“Today’s sentencing sends out a clear message – we take tenancy fraud allegations seriously and we will prosecute.”


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