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Lisa Ewens with Cllr Shelley Coupland, who says: ‘This is the tip of the iceberg’ |
Cramped bedroom that’s home for mother and son
Missing file puts school meals supervisor to end of homes queue
HOME for former school meals supervisor Lisa Ewens – who has been on the housing waiting list for 15 years – is a cramped bedroom she shares with her four-year-old son Jack.
This week, Ms Ewens, 30, who is forced to share a house with her elderly parents and two brothers in New North Road, became the face of Islington’s “forgotten” homeless – people living in unsuitable conditions but not considered urgent enough for rehousing.
According to experts, even if she was working Ms Ewens would struggle to afford to rent, and buying a property for herself and her lively youngster would be out of the question.
The daughter of a retired Islington Council lights maintenance worker, she put her name down on the housing waiting list when she was 16.
She even got an offer of a flat a few years later but considered she was too young and in no desperate need to leave home.
When she fell pregnant four years ago, she expected to have the required points to allow her and her son to move into a council flat.
However, staff at Northway House housing office could find no record of her ever being on the waiting list and she could find none of the letters sent to her over the years.
Meanwhile, Ms Ewens and Jack occupy two narrow beds in a tiny back bedroom without cupboard space for clothes and toys.
With 13,000 people on the waiting list, including many with urgent needs living in hostel accommodation, the chance of a new home for Ms Ewens look bleak.
St Peter’s ward Labour councillor Shelley Coupland, who has taken up Ms Ewens’ case, said: “This is the tip of the iceberg in terms of people who have been on the waiting list a long time but their records go missing.
“It is very frustrating because it means they have to be re-assessed and start amassing points again.
“She was a key worker and she still can’t get sufficient points.”
Cllr Coupland said the case was further complicated by Ms Ewens’ family’s purchase of their former council house under the “right to buy” policy, which effectively puts her in the private sector.
Ms Ewens said: “It’s all very stressful and depressing. I just want Jack to grow up and have his own space. We’ve got no room and everyone is getting in each other’s way.
“I’ve always been truthful with the housing department but they’ve told me I’ve no chance of a new home because I’m not an emergency.
“If I was ill or had nowhere to go I’d probably be in a better position to get a new home.”
A council spokesman was unavailable to comment last night Thursday despite the Tribune putting in a request for information earlier in the week.
However, housing officials did point out that with little in the way of new housing stock being built in Islington, the council must give priority to those in desperate need. |
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