HOUSE THAT
I’m a 21-year-old mum living in a homeless shelter – the ‘crib’ is ridiculous and wait until you see the mould
Scroll down for what to do if you become homeless
A YOUNG mother has revealed that she is living in a homeless shelter with her baby.
21-year-old Chrissie, mum to seven-month-old baby boy Arlo, explained that the ‘crib’ is ridiculous and not only is there mould covering the windows, but there’s no shower either.
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Posting on social media, the content creator gave her followers a close-up look at her living situation, leaving many open-mouthed.
The first-time mother penned: “Come move into a homeless shelter as a homeless first time mum at 21.”
Chrissie then gave her followers a tour around her homeless shelter bedroom.
She first of all shared a close-up look at the bed, which was simply a frame and a mattress, with no bedding or pillows.
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She then got up close to the windows, as she added: “Nice mould for my baby to breathe in.”
Following this, Chrissie showed off what was meant to be her baby’s crib, but was simply a tiny mattress on the floor, as she continued: “Apparently baby’s bed.”
Not only was Chrissie stunned by the ‘crib’, but she was also shocked to notice the shared toilet too.
And in addition to this, Chrissie pointed out that whilst there is a shared bath, which came with a bonus spider, there is “no shower”.
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Not only was there a spider, but Chrissie also explained that her homeless shelter has some other unexpected creepy crawlies.
She penned: “This one has bed bugs too, I hope I'll be out soon.”
I've lived in a hostel with my baby and 30 other people for 6 months - we share a kitchen with 9 families it is chaotic
The mother explained that she has worked since the age of 16 as a teaching assistant, but shared that maternity pay is not enough for her to be able to afford to rent a flat in her home of South East London.
Chrissie shared that she has a great relationship with her mother, but said there's no room for her and her baby at her mum's house.
She said that she applied for a council house when her baby was born but wasn't given any help.
When she revealed she was homeless, she was put up in a Travelodge for the night.
What to do if you're made homeless
In England, your council must help if you’re legally homeless or will become homeless within the next 8 weeks.
You may be legally homeless if:
- you’ve no legal right to live in accommodation anywhere in the world
- you cannot get into your home, for example your landlord has locked you out
- it’s not reasonable to stay in your home, for example you’re at risk of violence or abuse
- you’re forced to live apart from your family or people you normally live with because there’s no suitable accommodation for you
- you’re living in very poor conditions such as overcrowding
There are different types of support your council could offer you. For example, they may offer you advice, emergency housing, support to find longer-term housing or help so you can stay in your home.
If you are looking for advice you can contacting housing charity for advice, for a legal aid, and speak to yourfor help.
But then, the next day, she was moved into the homeless hostel, and said that she cried when she was being shown around, as it is "no place for a baby".
Chrissie later wrote: “I am okay and I'm in the process of getting a place - this place isn’t the best but it's better than the streets and it's only temporary.”
SOCIAL MEDIA USERS REACT
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly gone viral and has since racked up 5.6 million views.
But social media users were left totally divided by the video - whilst some were incredibly supportive, not everyone thought the homeless shelter was that bad.
You'll get to where you deserve soon enough
TikTok user
One user penned: “If you ever need anything for you or baby I’m always happy to help! You’re doing amazing!”
A second chimed in: “You got this mama! The best is yet to come. Do not let this define you! I can’t wait to see where your journey takes you both!”
Whilst someone else wrote: “You got this momma! Sending lots of love and support, you got this. You'll get to where you deserve soon enough.”
However, at the same time, many TikTok users didn’t see a problem with Chrissie’s living situation.
At least you have shelter and somewhere to go
TikTok user
One person said: “Looks like a roof over your head and a dry place to sleep. Blessings in disguise.”
Another added: “I'll swap, mine’s worse.”
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A third commented: “At least you have shelter and somewhere to go.”
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How to check what benefits you could be entitled to
The quickest way to see what benefits you may be able to claim is to use one of the three benefit calculators recommended by Gov.uk.
Each one is free to use. They are:
Before using the tools, make sure you have key financial information to hand, such as bank and savings statements, and information on pensions and existing benefits.
If you live with a partner or family, get their basic financial information together too as this could affect your claim.
For each of these, you’ll be asked information about your circumstances, such as your current employment and income.
You’ll also need to give information about yourself, including your age and who you live with.
You can then use the contact information on to get the ball rolling and apply for what you're owed.
Of course, the tools only provide an indicator of what benefits you can claim - and usually don't include means tested benefits, so you may be entitled to even more.
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