Cambridge City Council has prosecuted a woman who wrongly claimed she was homeless in order to obtain a council home.
Loubna Hamidouch, 36 – previously of Ditton Fields in Cambridge – failed to declare that she owned property overseas when she applied to the council for housing.
Mrs Hamidouch had presented herself and her family as homeless in February 2015 and was given temporary accommodation by Cambridge City Council while her application was investigated.
When the council decided that she was not entitled to social housing, she appealed against the decision and continued to live in the temporary accommodation.
Further investigation by the reviewing officer led to a disclosure by a third party that Hamidouch jointly owned a house in Italy as her home.
When interviewed by a fraud officer, she admitted owning the property – Hamidouch knew that she would not be entitled to social housing if she declared her true circumstances.
After the interview, she moved her family out of the temporary accommodation and subsequently pleaded guilty to the offence at court.
At Cambridge Magistrates’ Court, Hamidouch was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 12 months.
The magistrates also imposed a six-week curfew requiring her to be in her home or garden between 7pm and 7am, plus court costs and a victim surcharge.
Executive Councillor for Housing, Councillor Kevin Price, said:
“It’s very unfortunate that Mrs Hamidouch took this course of action, as in doing so she was preventing another family from obtaining a much needed home.
“We take matters like this very seriously and our fraud officers work closely with the police to uncover cases of deception like this.”
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