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Cramped conditions: Andrew, Ben, Elie, Rebecca and Maddox with Michelle Martin |
Plight of family-of-six who have outgrown their ‘cramped’ home
‘I’m suffering from stress,’ says mother who faces having to sit it out
A MOTHER with five children living in cramped conditions appealed to the Town Hall this week: “Please, move us – we’re falling over each other.”
Former care worker Michelle Martin, 41, has lived at the two-floor flat in Goodinge Close, off North Road, Holloway, for 15 years as her family has grown. But with the arrival of her last child, Maddox, now 12 months, she says the flat is simply too small.
Her plight, highlighted at last week’s full council meeting, sparked a fierce row between the council’s Labour opposition group and the ruling Lib Dems.
Labour accused the Lib Dems of caving in to developers by not insisting they provide more affordable rented accommodation.
Mrs Martin and her children, Rebecca, 18, Andrew, 15, Elie, 11, Ben 10, and Maddox, have to squeeze into three bedrooms.
Maddox sleeps in a cot in his mother’s room and will soon need a bedroom while the two boys share a small box room.
Mrs Martin, whose home is owned by Hyde Housing Association, said: “I spoke to the council last year when I was four months pregnant. I’ve spoken to Hyde.
“But I only have 145 points and, apparently, that’s not enough to make me a priority. The council said there may be an opportunity to move outside the borough, to south London.
“But I was born and brought up in Islington. My children go to school here and my mum lives locally.”
She says that the flat is so small the older children have nowhere quiet to do their homework. “The kids can’t have friends over,” she added. “They can’t study for their GCSEs and A-levels. We’re all constantly having arguments and falling over buggies and toys and I’m suffering from stress and depression. But the council says there’s nothing available for me and I have to sit it out.”
Mrs Martin’s mother Josephine, 62, has lived in the borough for 45 years and cannot understand why her daughter is unable to move into larger accommodation.
She said: “I remember watching Cathy Come Home on the TV back in the 1960s. It was about homelessness but I thought we’d never see that again in my lifetime. Here we have a mother with five kids all getting on top of each other and nothing can be done.”
Labour councillor Paul Smith, who has taken up the Martins’ case, is pressing the council to ensure there is more four-bedroom accommodation. “This is a perfect example of the lack of affordable accommodation in the borough,” he said.
He claimed that only about 800 affordable homes will be built in Islington over the next three years – and even those may be too expensive for poor households to rent.
He said: “This is despite all the development going on in the borough and including the massive Arsenal Emirates housing scheme. We need real affordable rented housing for families and not shared ownership, which the council claims is affordable. The Martins obviously can’t afford to pay £2,000 a month.”
He added that with 13,000 on the housing waiting list and a lot of people in overcrowded accommodation the situation is becoming extremely serious.
Cllr Smith said: “The Mayor of London has called on local authorities to make half of each housing development affordable but that is not happening in Islington.
“Instead, developers are making huge profits in the borough and not putting anything back.”
Lib Dem council leader Councillor James Kempton said he sympathised with Mrs Martin but her problems were not unique.
He added: “All London boroughs are facing a housing crisis, but instead of quibbling over figures this council is doing something about it.
“Under my leadership we’re going to deliver the first brand new council homes Islington has seen for a generation. We’ve earmarked millions of pounds of our own money for this already, making us one of only a handful of London councils to do so.
“In the meantime, there are options open to Mrs Martin. She could consider a mutual exchange if she was flexible about her location and we’re happy to talk through these options with her.”
Islington has 3,000 more affordable homes than it had in 2000, according to recent figures. The Lib Dems say that in the last two years three affordable homes have been built in Islington for every one built in neighbouring boroughs.
Many of these are shared ownership or for key workers, helping people get their first step on the housing ladder. |
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