Serious Housing issues

[Vicky_Gazerimmer]

Morning ladies!

Well its been a while since I had a moan and now I have a big one!
When I found out I was pregnant I put myself onto a couple of housing lists as my apartment is too small and cold for a baby, plus it is on the third floor and there are no lifts.

Anyway all the housing places have now told us they won't move us until over child is 2 years old!!!
Well its safe to say I cannot have a baby in this flat I sat at the moment with a jumper 2 dressing gowns and a blanket round me it is that cold, if I bring my baby here it will become very ill or worse..

Not only that there is black mould all over the bedroom wall right on the only wall where the baby could be put cause the room is so small its like a box. We also have vermin in the building and all the landlord says is 'its an old building'

So now we have to consider mioving back into my parents house and live there for the next 2 years, which is ok but I feel bad on my little sister who will have to give up her room for us and move into this cacky little box room.

What the heck am I gonna do? I sure as hell aint bringing my child here to live for it to get ill and alsorts of other problems

Has anyone else experienced housing problems? xx

 

[Dinski]

Hi Vicky,

We are in a similar situation to you. We live in a privately rented (which we pay a small fortune for!) really old flat on the second floor of a building with no lift which has cracks in the windows and no proper heating (we use electric heaters in the winter and it gets absolutely freezing - I totally sympathise). We cannot get council housing as my DH earns too much and even if we could we would have to wait ages for it and although we have looked for something cheaper and better in London it is not easy and we would have to pay quite a bit more for something very slightly better and all the estate agents charge a fortune here just for the privilidge of speaking to them. So basically we will have to stay here until we can either move abroad (which I would love to do) or work out some solution. We are also considering moving in with my mum who has a bigger house but my brother lives there and it would be too chaotic and stressful as my mum is almost 70 and wants some peace and quite after bringing us up on her own (which she dearly deserves).

 

[Vicky_Gazerimmer]

Its horrible isn't it!
I am tempted to tell them that I am single to see if that helps. I dont know what it is like where you are but in my area unless your from eastern europe you dont get anything!!!

 

[xNataliex]

Hi Vicky, you poor thing

I don't know what to suggets on the whole but I do know you can have the vermin prob sorted by the council. We had rats (lived near a farm) and the council came and sorted it for free. I live in Derbyshire but it might be the same in your area. Look on council website.

Might not be too much help but it would solve one of the problems anyway

 

[kirlykird]

Really don't know what to suggest Vicky but sending you big big hugs and that you get something sorted soon

 

[Dinski]

Vicky, a few years ago I lived in a really insalubrious flat (private) and we had an issue with mould and water running down the walls in the winter. I called in the environmental health from my borough and even though there was mould all over my clothes which I had to throw out and water streaming down the wall the officer told me that it was up to the landlady to decide if she wanted to do anything and since I hadn't become ill it wasn't classed as a serious problem. I stopped paying my rent in the end because she refused to do anything and was just interested in getting money off us

It seems there is little recourse for people like us unfortunately

Good luck with whatever happens Vicky and enjoy your scan on monday!

 

[Oliver's mummy]

Its horrible isn't it!
I am tempted to tell them that I am single to see if that helps. I dont know what it is like where you are but in my area unless your from eastern europe you dont get anything!!!

hi vicky, i'm in a similar situation, i'm living with parents but trying to get a house, what a nightmare, and trust me you will not get one any faster if you say your single

what i have done and am waiting to hear about is; apply to your council for a special allocation request, just go in and get a form all councils do them, you have to keep going in and pestering them after applying but fingers crossed i will get one and you will

i'll let you know how i get on and ask some people for some more suggestions, but in this allocations form really emphasise on how you need a house, i went in and aasked about it last Tuesday and ended up crying in front of them i was sooooooooo stressed and upset

hope this helps x

 

[Emmylou]

As Natalie said earlier...you can call the council in about the rats....you'll get the service free, but if the landlord does anything they'll be charged (go figure).

I don't know much abut council housing I'm afraid though, but I know that we had a tenant in a studio flat who got moved 2 weeks after baby was born as it boosted her points or something.....is it possible to ask them to do an inspection so they can see the conditions you are describing?

 

[*saulino*]

Hi

How aweful hun, if it was that bad out here you would be top priority
I thought my place was bad with mold in the bathroom and some on the window ledges but you have it far worse...
I really hope they can get you in sooner , what a tough situation the baby cannot live in such a cold place and its nto good for your health either.
Good luck hun
Katrina

 

[Minime]

Are you both on the social? If so could a relative offer a bond for a private rent then you can claim housing benefit? I did that when I escaped DD's dad and had some choice in where we lived.

 

[Redshoes]

Hello Vicky

It's sad to hear that so many people have housing problems, it's the last thing you need while pregnant I know, as I too live in very similar conditions to you Vicky, with the mould and cold etc

My flat is council property. I got a solicitor involved regarding the condition and lack of repairs, that was nearly a year ago and we're no better off for it

I have consistently been going to the housing dept since getting pregnant, and through constantly telling them I am unhappy, I am now classed Priority Band for moving, and can bid for a 2 bedroom property, so I would suggest CONSTANT ANNOYANCE at them, because personally it was the only blooming thing that got any response.

Saying that, I have still yet to be offered somewhere to move to, it is a bidding system here with my council.

Best Wishes Vicky,
hope something gets resolved soon for you

 

[TipsyDipsy]

I hun we can't afford to get onto the property ladder either.
But there is another option if the relative your forced to live with lives in a detached or semi detached house.
Me and my hubbie have taken out a small affordable mortgage/loan to build an extension onto my mil's house. The size of a flat.
Its always another option to anyone who who could get the planning permission and have the space to extend a otherwise too small house.
There is such a demand on the council now that they don't give houses out like they used too unfortunately