I’m a mum of three young kids ‘trapped’ in a cramped one-bed council flat – I’m forced to sleep on sofa with my toddler
A MUM-of-three says she is forced to sleep on the sofa with her toddler because the council won't give her bigger flat.
Elena Erimea, 36, moved to her one bed basement home 12 years ago and says while cramped it was "manageable".
But now with three kids aged 14, seven and two, she says that despite the setup ruining her life the council won't get her out.
Elena, from Angel, North London, said: "I can't take it anymore.
"I feel like we're stuck and will never be able to move out of here.
"I argue with my 14-year-old daughter a lot because she is frustrated about not having any personal space.
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"I’d also like 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 bunkbeds in the flat's only bedroom.
The mum says the cramped flat has also impacted her daughter's ability to study for her GCSEs.
Elena can't afford to buy or rent on the private market and told her only option is to beg Islington Council to move her to another council house.
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She is willing to move to Luton, Beds, for a bigger place but has faced an uphill battle given the giant waiting list for council houses across Britain.
Any move out of the borough would have to be organised by Elena herself, Islington Council said, stressing the "extremely challenging" council housing situation in the UK.
Elena was nearly freed from her nightmare a few moths ago when a woman offered to swap her three-bedroom flat for their current home.
But she pulled out at the last minute because the bathroom "is full of mould".
Elena explained: "No one wants to downsize and move into a bad property."
But following the setback she fears she will never be able to escape living in the one-bedroom flat.
An Islington Council spokesperson said: "We understand Ms Erimea's desire to move and have assessed her application in line with our allocations policy.
"Unfortunately, the demand for social housing hugely outstrips supply and the housing crisis means it simply is not possible to re-house everyone who approaches us looking to move."
YOUR RIGHTS
There are certain laws and restrictions about overcrowding in homes.
Your home is considered overcrowded if two people have to sleep in the same room and they are:
- not a couple
- of a different sex
Children under the age of 10 do not count. They can share a room with anyone.
You are overcrowded if you have less rooms than you need for your family or household.
First count your bedrooms, living rooms and other rooms you can sleep in.
Do not include any rooms that are less than 4.65 square metres (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
- box rooms, studies or home offices
A large kitchen might count as a room you can sleep in. But it could still be unsafe and not reasonable. For example, if young children have to sleep in a kitchen.
These do not count as rooms you can sleep in:
- bathrooms and toilets
- small kitchens and utility rooms
- any room that is less than 4.65 square metres (50 square feet)
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