Family-of-five ‘crammed’ into one-bedroom flat

A family-of-five who share a one-bedroom flat are among those anxiously waiting for more news on Parham Court. For more than two years, Sarah - not her real name - and her eight-year-old son have lived with her partner in Forrester Close, Canterbury, and his two children, aged 17 and 20. The children share a bunk bed while Sarah and her partner sleep in the lounge, a situation she says is becoming increasingly testing, particularly as her son has autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. “There’s no privacy,” she said. “We’re five people crammed into a one-bed flat. Our ages range from 45 to eight. Thankfully the children are close, but their relationship is getting tested. “90% of the time, my son is in his own world. But he can also be running around at 4am, which affects everybody. And if somebody gets ill, everybody gets ill, because we are on top of each other. It’s soul destroying.” The family joined the city council’s housing waiting list in December 2017, as they were only allowed to apply once they had documents to prove they had lived in the district for at least three years. In that time, only one fourbedroom house has become available for rent. The family were one of 26 to make a bid and narrowly missed out. Sarah, an office worker for an accountancy firm, says she feels misled by the council’s promise to begin housing families at Parham Court within two months. “It’s been over six months and there’s no sign of any movement,” she said.