A mother opens up about the prison-like conditions in the temporary council housing she shares with her daughter.
Katie Prior, who lives in Camden, London, realised she could no longer afford her own rent after unexpectedly losing her job because childcare failed her.
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Although the dark-haired beauty desperately sought remote work to make ends meet, her efforts proved futile. In April, she first learned that the landlord was putting their home back on the market.
Left with no other option, the young mother of one contacted the council and was soon told she would have to leave her home by mid-September.
Although the mother still had a lot of things stored and suitcases packed, Katie did her best to enjoy the rest of the summer to the fullest.
The moving date finally arrived and Katie was immediately faced with a new set of rules to abide by.
“We finally moved, we made the best of it and we found our place to stay in the new area, without knowing how long we would stay with her, and we had to sign every day that we would stay there,” she claimed in the video.
According to the young mother, who posts under the username @katieepriorrtheir current living situation has led to a change in the way others perceive them.
The pretty lady claims she is constantly judged and ‘looked at’ when she tells people that the duo live in a hotel.
While living in a hotel may sound fancy, Katie said it was in fact “like living in prison.”
Not only does she have to ‘check in every day’, Katie is also not allowed to receive visitors and ‘is not actually allowed to sleep outside the home unless she informs the council’.
In the videoThe mother of one, who described the situation as ”a joke”, also claimed there are ”weekly room checks”.
“I’ve been lucky enough not to have that, but a lot of people have to share their bathrooms and kitchens,” she added.
Katie added that despite the prison-like atmosphere, she tries to make it “as homey as possible,” such as adding new candles, string lights or cozy rugs.
“It makes a big difference for you and your children.”
She continued in the comments: “It’s really dead, honestly.
“Honestly, they treat you like you’re [you’re] in prison, is so bad.”
How can I get social housing?
To apply for social housing, you must complete an application form and submit it to your municipality.
To find your municipality, you can simply use the municipality finder on the government website.
Once you have access to your municipality’s website, you will find guidelines there for completing your application.
After you register, you will likely be placed on a waiting list.
Please note that even if you are placed on the waiting list, this does not guarantee an offer of social housing.
Your local authority can also advise you on how to continue living in your current home and resolve any issues, such as problems with a private landlord or mortgage.
You are eligible for application for social housing if you are a British citizen living in the UK, provided you have not recently lived abroad.
Each municipality has its own local rules about who is eligible to be placed on the housing list for its area, but these rules are based on a system of ‘points’ or ‘bands’.
For example, you will probably be the first to be offered a home if you:
- are homeless
- living in cramped conditions
- have a medical condition that is aggravated by your current home
- trying to escape domestic violence
Once you are high enough on the municipality’s waiting list, you will be contacted as soon as a home becomes available.
In some municipalities you can submit an application from the age of 18, in other municipalities you can submit an application from the age of 16.
EU workers and their families and refugees may also be eligible.
You will be allocated social housing through a points system. Depending on your housing needs, you may be given low priority.
Once you are high enough on the waiting list, the municipality will contact you about available housing.
There is no limit to how long you will be on the waiting list.
Since the video was posted on the platform, it has been viewed more than 100,000 times and has touched the hearts of dozens of people.
Another mother said: “Same boat in a shared house but we are not allowed to have candles, rugs, lamps etc on. We are also not allowed to receive cheques and no visitors, not even my 16 year old.”
Another was shocked: “No visitors?? I’m allowed to receive visitors until 11pm, that’s not fair.”
A third chimed in: “I’m in the same boat mum, have been sleeping in a hotel with my disabled daughter since June last year. I’ve also moved all over the UK and lived in hotels. Hopefully things will get better.”
