A disabled mother may have to resort to sleeping in a car with we daughter after they were kicked out of their house by a South London council.
Pauline Roye, 62, has been kipping on a mattress in the kitchen of her previous house, due to mould problems in the bedrooms. But now she and daughter Nashstacia Gayle, 28, may have to use their car as their home after Lewisham Council cancelled their temporary accommodation in Catford – they had been rehoused there as their previous landlord had evicted them after falling behind on rent payments, after being forced to close her Jamaican street food stall during the pandemic, reports MyLondon.
The council gave them the option of moving into a house in Ilford, after Pauline had asked to be moved as the state of her living quarters was giving her breathing problems. But that is over an hour away on public transport in East London and Pauline rejected the offer as she is awaiting a knee replacement and can’t walk without assistance, so would struggle to reach hospital appointments.
But the council disagreed, though, and said that as Pauline had refused “a reasonable offer of interim temporary accommodation” they no longer had a responsibility to house her. That decision has now left Pauline and Nashstacia in limbo.
Pauline, who has lived in Lewisham for over 20 years, said: “I don’t know where I am from one day to the next. It’s not a way to live.
“If we don’t find a place tonight then we’re going to have to sleep in the car in Lewisham Shopping Centre car park. They [Lewisham] say I can travel 90 minutes for an appointment at the hospital, but I can’t take a bus or train.
“I have to take patient transport. I can’t walk without assistance – I’m just asking for them to look at my health.”
When they moved into the temporary house in Catford on September 14, they were thankful. But their relief soon turned to horror as they discovered the state of the property.
Pauline said: “There was mould everywhere. They had painted over it, but we couldn’t breathe in the bedrooms.
“It was like being in a drain and I caught a cough. We ended up having to drag a mattress into the kitchen and sleep there because it was the only place we could breathe.
“The freezer didn’t work and it defrosted, ruining all our food in the fridge. There was a step up to the front door which I couldn’t do without help.”
After asking the council for help and explaining that the move to Ilford wasn’t suitable, staff weren’t sympathetic. In one email exchange, a staff member accused Pauline of “bombarding” the council with emails after she complained about the accommodation offered.
A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: “We have been reviewing Ms Roye’s case and will be looking to make her a new offer of temporary accommodation, in line with our Location Priority Policy. We expect all members of staff to be polite and professional when supporting residents with their housing needs and are investigating the comments made towards Ms Roye.”
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