A woman who suffered from years of serious domestic violence in her flat has hit out at Southwark Council after she was finally offered a new home – before being told she was ineligible.
The woman, whom we have chosen not to name, still lives in the flat where her former partner attacked and beat her repeatedly several years ago. She lives there with her children. The flat is overcrowded, with the woman having to sleep in the same room as one of the children.
She was overjoyed recently to find that she had bid successfully for a new property near her mother and her children’s school. “The new place would have taken me out of here.” she said emotionally. “There are so many terrible memories of what happened to me here.” As well as memories, the abuser left behind a physical trace: a boot print on the front door, still clearly visible.
But when she inquired further she was told that the health condition that one of her children suffers from means that she could not have the flat, because it is on the second floor.
“It just doesn’t make any sense, I really don’t understand it,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what floor [the child] is on, what matters is getting us a proper place to live so we can move on. To have that offered and then taken away… it’s cruel, their behaviour.”
Health authorities agree. A letter to the council from earlier this month from the woman’s parental mental health support officer said NHS staff were “extremely concerned about the impact of staying in the property on the woman and her children’s mental health.”
The letter added: “I am extremely concerned at her vulnerability to significant anxiety, panic attacks and worsening depression and would recommend that [the woman] be put forward for a priority move due to the risk to her health and safety highlighted above. This would also help the children’s mental health and wellbeing, by giving them stability.”
Council officers have allegedly not made any contact with the woman since the NHS letter was sent.
It comes at the same time as another domestic violence survivor, a mother of three whom we have also chosen not to name, called on the council to move her from her damp and mould-ridden flat.
The walls of the woman’s bedroom, her children’s bedroom, the stairs and the landing are all bare and feel spongy in parts after damp caused the wallpaper to fall away. The woman, who spoke tearfully about the effect of this problem on her life, is keeping track of the line of damp rising up the walls each day.
She said her middle child suffers from a health condition which she believes has been made worse by the damp.
The cause of the problem is leaking heating pipes, according to a scope of work prepared by the council and seen by the News. Other problems include mould throughout much of the property. The flat has also been without heating for large stretches, the woman said.
The council has offered to put the woman up in a hotel for a week while the work is done to the flat – but she has said she isn’t convinced the extensive refurbishments will be done properly in that timeframe and wants to be moved instead.
Speaking at the flat, the woman said: “I really believe that you have to treat a house properly and it will treat you well back too… this just isn’t a place for me to bring up my kids. I’ve got nothing in my life, I don’t go out, I don’t do anything… I need to be moved.”
Southwark Council declined to comment on either case as they were concerned it might identify the women. Both women asked us for their stories to be highlighted.