‘No one chooses to homeless – it was a large shock to the system’
Elaine Hughes has revealed her horror at being made homeless after her dad died,
A disabled mum who cares for her autistic daughter has shared her struggle at being homeless for nearly a decade.
Elaine Hughes, 49, has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and arthritis and is a carer for her 25-year-old autistic daughter.
A Disability Inclusion Consultant living in Haringey, North London, she lives with her daughter in temporary accommodation which is freezing in winter and has huge cracks in the walls and crumbling tiles.
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Supposed to be accessible, the adaptations don’t meet Elaine’s needs. She said: “No one chooses to be homeless. I became homeless through a combination of factors. My dad died, my marriage broke down, and my landlord couldn’t meet my accessibility needs. My daughter was 17 and at college at the time. It was a massive shock to the system.
“The first property we were placed in had severe damp and there were steps to the kitchen and bathroom, so I was basically confined to the main bedroom for three years as I rely on a walking frame at home.
“The council only moved us when mushrooms started growing from the walls. It affected my breathing, and my daughter developed rashes from the mould growing in her mattress. “Living in temporary accommodation is an endless waiting game. It was supposed to be for a few weeks, but it’s been over 8 years now. We’re still living out of boxes. We could be told to move at any time. We’re living in limbo and it’s awful.”
Another person who struggled with temporary accommodation is Georgia Kellett, 36, who along with her 7-year-old son became homeless in May after a marriage breakdown. Following legal advice from Shelter, Georgia and her son have moved into a stable and secure social home just in time for Christmas.
Georgia said: “Living in temporary accommodation impacted everything. We had to rehome our cat and dog and I had to leave my job due to all the upheaval.
“The place was 45 minutes away from my son’s school. He was really tired and unsettled. It severely impacted my mental health. I barely left the room for months. I was crying every day.
“While I was counting down the days until we had somewhere stable to live, the council declared us intentionally homeless.
“Shelter’s legal advice helped me successfully appeal the council’s unfair decision.
“We have now moved into a permanent social home. We are really happy. My son’s toys were the first things to come out of storage. It’s amazing to see him relax and play again. It was all so uncertain before. We could be told to go with barely any notice. Now I know my son is safe and this home is ours.”
