Single mum-of-three Michelle Kerr has told of the living hell of temporary accommodation in Scotland. Michelle and her three daughters have lived in four different homes in 18 months – and face another move imminently.
The 40-year-old has dealt with dead rats, cat excrement and extreme damp as she has battled to keep her kids safe and healthy.
Michelle spoke out after latest statistics revealed that 16,300 households officially homeless – the highest since Scottish government records began in 2002.
There was also a record 10,000 youngsters waiting for a permanent home. Glaswegian Michelle has been forced to share a single bed with daughter Daria, 11, who has complex special needs.
After a boiler broke down, Michelle was moved at one point into a hotel room, where Daria was able to “escape” onto a busy street in the middle of the night.
She said: “The experience we’ve had is like something out of a horror movie.
“The Scottish Government needs to put a priority on vulnerable families like ours and get proper, secure accommodation made available right now.
“They need to build more homes and to get moving on building programmes because I worry so much that my kids’ futures are being damaged every day they are in this low grade temporary accommodation – which seems more endless than temporary. ”
“It seems like there are so many families like mine who are already battling special needs with their kids, who are incredibly vulnerable to further damage being done.
“Instead of giving comfort and security, we have been plunged into a chaotic existence, where the kids can’t settle in one area and don’t know where they will be in a month’s time.
“We are now looking to move for the fourth time in less than two years and we’ve been told it could be five years at least before we can expect suitable council accommodation.”
Former NHS worker Michelle was made homeless after her private let was repossessed by a mortgage lender from her landlord.
Her latest home in Castlemilk, Glasgow, had no flooring and she was told there were no permanent ground floor, three bedroom properties available that would suit her, along with Daria and sisters Jamie-Lee, 17, and Devon, six.
She said: “My stress has been through the roof and trying to contain my child with very complex needs, without proper support, has been hard on all of us.
“When we got a move last April to a two bed flat in Castlemilk it was on the first floor, despite requests for a ground floor due to safety concerns that Daria may be able to open the windows and climb out. She has no sense of danger.
“The property was severely damaged, with water damage, a dead rat, piles of cat poo, mouldy mattresses and controlled medication behind child’s bed.
“It wasn’t fit for any family to stay in.
“In October we got another move but it wasn’t fit for habitation either.”
She added: “All we want is a secure place where the kids will be safe. They have told us that it will likely be a five-year wait.”
Glasgow City Council, which has declared a housing emergency, has this week found another flat for Michelle in Dalmarnock, in the city’s east end.
A spokeswoman said: “We are in a housing crisis and unfortunately the demand for permanent accommodation far outstrips availability and supply.
“That means people – particularly larger families with children – are spending longer in temporary accommodation than anyone would wish.”
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