I am a mother of three ‘trapped’ in a small apartment and have to sleep on the couch with my toddler
A mother of three says she has been forced to sleep on the sofa with her toddler because the council won’t give her a bigger flat.
Elena Erimea, 36, moved into her one-bed basement home 12 years ago and says that while it was cramped, it was “manageable.”
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But now that she has three children, aged 14, seven and two, she says that even though the situation is ruining her life, the council won’t force her out.
Elena, from Angel, North London, said: “I can’t take it anymore.
‘I feel like we’re stuck and will never get out of here.
“I argue a lot with my 14-year-old daughter because she is frustrated about not having personal space.
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“I also want my privacy and personal space, because I have to sleep in the living room.”
Elena shares a sofa bed with her youngest child, while her two other daughters sleep in bunk beds in the flat’s only bedroom.
The mother says the cramped flat has also affected her daughter’s ability to study for her final exams.
Elena cannot afford to buy or rent on the private market and told My London her only option is to beg Islington Council to move her to another council house.
She is willing to move to Luton, Beds, for a bigger home, but has faced an uphill battle given the huge waiting list for social housing across Britain.
Any move out of the borough would have to be organized by Elena herself, Islington Council said, highlighting the “extremely challenging” social housing situation in Britain.
Elena was almost freed from her nightmare a few months ago when a woman offered to trade her three-bedroom apartment for their current home.
But she backed out at the last minute because the bathroom was “full of mold.”
Elena explained, “No one wants to downsize and move to a bad property.”
But after the setback, she fears she will never be able to escape life in the one-bedroom flat.
A spokesperson for Islington Council said: “We understand Ms Erimea’s wish to move and have assessed her application in accordance with our allocation policy.
“Unfortunately, demand for social housing exceeds supply and the housing crisis means it is simply not possible to rehouse everyone who approaches us looking to move.”
YOUR RIGHTS
There are certain laws and restrictions about overcrowding in houses.
Your house is considered overcrowded if two people have to sleep in the same room and they:
- no couple
- of a different gender
Children under 10 years old do not count. They can share a room with anyone.
You are overcrowded if you have fewer rooms than you need for your family or household.
First, count your bedrooms, living rooms, and other rooms where you might sleep.
Do not include rooms smaller than 4.65 square meters (50 square feet).
You are overcrowded if the rooms are too small, even if you have enough rooms.
The law states that you can legally sleep in:
- Bedrooms
- living rooms and dining rooms
- storage spaces, study rooms or home offices
A large kitchen can be considered a room in which you can sleep. But it can still be unsafe and not reasonable. For example, if young children have to sleep in a kitchen.
These do not count as rooms in which you can sleep:
- bathrooms and toilets
- small kitchens and utility rooms
- any room smaller than 4.65 square meters (50 square feet)
Source: Hideout
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