A Nottingham mum has been sleeping on sofas for nearly two years with her daughter while waiting for housing through a council scheme. Nadia Bujudo, 31, has been going in between Bilborough and Hyson Green and staying with family and friends after joining the waiting list on Nottingham Homelink.
Ms Bujudo, who works full-time, sometimes has to take two buses just to take her daughter to school, and says the long wait for a place of their own is causing them huge distress. She applied to put herself on the waiting list back in November 2020 but Is still waiting for one of her bids on a property to be accepted.
However Nottingham City Homes (NCH), which runs the Homelink scheme along with the city council and other providers, says there are lengthy waits for two-bed accommodations across the city due to low availability - and have reinforced Ms Bujudo is one of more than 9,000 currently on their waiting list.
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Ms Bujudo said: "They are claiming that there are 10,000 people on the waiting list, but there are five houses around me that I know of that are empty - the tenants don't live in those properties. Me and my nine year old have been sleeping on a sofa pretty much every night for the past two years.
"We have been sharing one room. I feel like the council have been lying to us and everybody else - we haven't received any support. We are currently staying at my friends and sometimes at my mum's house. My daughter goes to school and, when I stay with my friend who lives in Bilborough, I'm having to take two buses just to drop her off at school.
"If they even gave me a one bedroom flat I can turn the front room into a bedroom. I'm relying on these people but it's causing issues for them too - it's creating stress between me and my family and friends. I want my independence back. It's been an absolute nightmare."
Ms Bujudo has been classed under band B - people who are in temporary accommodation - those classed in band A are those seen as in urgent need of a home. She says she has been applying for houses across Nottingham and doesn't feel loved one's sofas being classed as 'temporary accommodation' is a fair assessment.
NCH say Ms Bujudo needs to keep bidding for houses she is eligible for every week until she is successful and have stressed how the demand for housing significantly outweighs how many are available across Nottingham.
A Nottingham City Homes spokesperson said: “Ms Bujudo is registered with us and is on the waiting list in band B. She can bid on properties that she is eligible for and she needs to continue to bid weekly until she is successful - as there are lengthy waits for two bed accommodation across the city and there is low availability.
“We wouldn’t allocate her a one bed as it would be classed as overcrowding with her and her daughter. We have over 9,000 people on the waiting list and properties are in high demand. We recommend that she continue to bid and considers bidding for properties in different parts of the city.”
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