Despair of young mother forced to sleep in her car
A YOUNG homeless mother-of-two, who has been sleeping in her car and at a friend’s house, has spoken of her despair at trying to find a house for herself and her two kids.
The young mum has appealed to Wexford County Council to house her.
The mother, who is in her early 30s, is from the Clonroche area but at one point in the last fortnight had to sleep in her car at the entrance to the woods in Kiltealy.
This newspaper met with her at her friend’s house on Friday and she highlighted her predicament.
‘The County Council said they can’t put me into a house because of my son [who has a medical condition],’ she said.
Her child is also being assessed for ADHD and autism and the mum is awaiting a report on that assessment.
A local authority tenant in the past she said she always kept her house clean and tidy and had her rent up-to-date.
‘I just want a secure home for my kids, that’s all,’ she said.
A young homeless mother-of-two who has been sleeping in her car, and at a friend’s house, has spoken of her despair at trying to find a house for herself and her two kids.
The young mum has appealed to Wexford County Council to house her.
The mother, who is in her early 30s, is from the Clonroche area but at one point in the last fortnight had to sleep in her car at the entrance to the woods in Kiltealy.
This newspaper met with her at her friend’s house on Friday and she highlighted her predicament.
‘ The County Council said they can’t put me into a house because of my son [who has a medical condition],’ she said.
Her child is also being assessed for ADHD and autism and the mum is awaiting a report on that assessment.
‘I’ve been driving the roads late at night [to find a place to stay],’ she said.
She said she did have a local authority house up to five years ago but at that time moved in with man she was in a relationship with.
‘I gave up the council house then because I thought the relationship was going to last and also it was the right thing to do with the house because I didn’t then need it,’ she said.
Last year that relationship broke down and towards the end of the year she moved back onto the grounds of her family home in the run up to last Christmas.
However, familial issues [not of her doing] meant she could only go to the property at certain times and the temporary dwelling she had been living in is being sold at the end of this month.
‘When that’s gone I will literally have nowhere to go,’ she said.
‘I would go anywhere and I really don’t mind what condition the house is in because I just want a secure home for my kids,’ she added.
‘I would do a house up myself and when I was a local authority tenant before they never had a problem with me and I kept my house neat and tidy.’
The mum was told by the local authority to go down the HAP route but she pointed out: ‘ There are no houses out there and even if they were available they’re just completely unaffordable even with HAP.’
‘I would move into any council house, no matter what condition it’s in, but the council won’t let me do that,’ she said.
‘I always paid my rent on time and I always kept me house clean,’ she added.
‘I was told by a social worker with the council that I would get a house and that was six weeks ago but I’ve still no word.’
She also pointed out that another issue with her temporary accommodation on the grounds of her family home was that it had no heating or hot water.
‘We have to wash in a basin and obviously it’s not healthy at all for the kids,’ she said.
‘I just want a home and it will be kept in good condition like I did before.’