I’m a single mum-of-four on benefits & we all slept in one room with my baby – I’d been waiting 6 years for bigger spot
A SINGLE mum-of-four has been sleeping in the same room as all her youngsters after waiting six years for a bigger house.
Manuella Akona, 33, lives in Knights Hill, South London and three of her youngsters have gone their whole lives without having a permanent place to call home.
The mum, who is on benefits, said her kids are sleep deprived and their council house is overcrowded with horror mould.
Manuella said this was the result of her and her children aged 15, four, one, and a seven-months-old, being forced to sleep in one tiny room.
On top of that, the mum says her building has a mice problem with the rodents are eating her baby’s clothes.
She told South London Press: “I’ve had midwives writing to the council while I was pregnant, now doctors write to them for my mental health.”
Last month Lambeth Council offered Manuella a new home in North London, but she rejected the offer.
The building was too far away from her youngster’s school and the apartment was up a “huge” flight of stairs but didn’t have a lift.
The mum said: “After I raised these fears my housing officer bullied me.
“They said if I didn’t move I would lose my current home and make my family homeless. I haven’t heard from them since.”
Since Manuella’s story was published this week, she has now been offered another home.
New figures released by Lambeth Council showed a massive 40,000 people are on the waiting list for social housing.
Every night the local authority provides temporary accommodation for more than 3,000 families.
A Lambeth Council spokesperson said: “We do everything we can to find homes for all the people in housing need who come to us for help.
But, due to the housing crisis in Lambeth and London as a whole, there is a significant shortage of suitable and affordable housing in Lambeth – owned by the council or in the private rented sector.
It continued: “Over 40,000 people are on our waiting list for social housing and, every night, we provide temporary accommodation for over 3,900 homeless families – including more than 5,000 children.
“We are sorry for the inconvenience experienced by Ms Akona. Despite the shortage of properties available, we are committed to making sure that the homes we do have are allocated to people as fairly and efficiently as possible.
“But this shortage makes it very challenging to provide a suitable home for every family – and it means we sometimes have to house people outside Lambeth until a home in our borough becomes available.
Apply for a council home
You can apply for council housing through your local council.
Each council has its own rules
You’ll usually have to join a waiting list and you’re not guaranteed to get a property. Ask your council how long you’re likely to have to wait.
You can apply if you’re 18 or over (some councils let you apply if you’re 16 or over).
You may be able to apply even if you do not live in the area.
Councils decide who gets offered housing based on a ‘points’ or ‘banding’ system.
Points and bands are based on housing need. For example, you’re likely to be offered housing first if you:
- are homeless
- live in cramped conditions
- have a medical condition made worse by your current home
Once you’re high enough on the list, your council will contact you about an available property.
“We have been actively looking for alternative accommodation for Ms Akona and have identified a property that we will be offering to her this week.
“There are issues with the electricity supply at the Knight’s Walk property, which we are working to resolve.
“Once the necessary work has been completed, the property will be reoffered to Ms Johnson; in the meantime, her previous accommodation has been reinstated.”
Meanwhile, a single mum on benefits with two sets of twins is stuck in a tiny flat with the council telling her to wait 11 years for a bigger place.
Divine Doti, 29, was moved into the emergency accommodation in 2020 by Haringey Council in North London with her two oldest children, now aged five.
She was added to the housing list but then fell unexpectedly pregnant for a second time last year – again with twins.
While almost six months pregnant, Divine asked the council if she could be moved into a larger flat and was given a housing assessment.
Divine said the council informed her in January that applications for three-bed properties in the area are typically only considered after someone has been on the waiting list for 11 years.
What are your rights if your home is damp?
It’s estimated that almost 2million Brits are living in homes with hazards that pose a health and safety risk – including mould.
If your flat is damp or mouldy, it could be down to your landlord to sort it out, but only in some circumstances.
Your landlord should fix the issue if it’s caused by a repair problem or it is affecting your health and safety.
For example, damp and mould could be caused by these issues:
- leaking internal pipes
- broken heating systems
- missing roof tiles or faulty guttering
- cracked walls or rotten window frames
However, it’s also down to tenants to do their bit to prevent a damp problem.
According to housing charity Shelter, there are steps you can take to reduce condensation in your home.
For example it can help if you:
- cover pans when cooking
- use extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms
- close internal doors when cooking or showering
- leave a gap between furniture and external walls
- dry clothes outdoors or use a vented tumble dryer
- open bedroom windows for 5-10 minutes when you get up