“We’re in a dump at the moment, we’ve been here 3 years already.”
Steve lives with his children, partner and their dog in a temporary accommodation flat. Despite being far too small, there are several other problems with the property. A ceiling has collapsed, all rooms have black mould which the council tried to clean but the mould returned in a few weeks. In winter, they had to bin lots of their clothes from the damp.
The toddler has had a cough for several weeks and the fourteen-year-old has been diagnosed with asthma. Social services and the health visitor are concerned and have written to the council. The children’s school have also written to the council to outline the impact of the TA flats on the children’s wellbeing and health, but the council have not responded.
““It’s not fair on the kids. My daughter doesn’t want to go to school anymore. She was having issues with other kids, getting picked on. And she’s embarrassed about how we’re living. The kids can’t have friends over to this.”
They had reported a crack on the back of the house and a leak in the roof that was letting water into the bedroom where the kids were sleeping and were told that the crack wasn’t the issue. The split is now through the wall, water has been coming through and part of the ceiling has collapsed so that bedroom is no longer usable. When the family have raised issues, the council have offered to move them to a shared hostel, saying there are no other options available to them.
Across Wales, families like Steve’s are living in awful conditions, with no say over where or when they might be housed.
You can help by signing our letter to the First Minister of Wales asking her to make sure that the Welsh Government are taking all the steps possible to provide the homes we need so that families like Steve’s aren’t trapped in unsafe and unsuitable temporary homes.
At Shelter Cymru we believe everyone in Wales should have the right to a safe, secure, suitable and affordable home. It is the foundation for the health and wellbeing of people and communities. Home is everything.
