‘We’re living on top of each other’

A SINGLE mum-of-five has been struggling to find a house big enough for her family after fleeing domestic abuse and staying in a women’s refuge.

The woman, who cannot be named, chose to leave the refuge and take a three-bedroom flat in Fintry in a bid to give her children a better life.

However, with the cramped living conditions in her flat she is pleading with her housing association for a larger flat so they can have more space.

She said: “I have one in a buggy and the other one is only just managing to climb the stairs.

“I left the youngest’s dad through Women’s Aid and I took this flat on a whim because I was in the refuge and I needed something more secure for me and the kids.

“The kids wanted wifi and you are not allowed that in the refuge for obvious reasons. I just wanted somewhere the kids could feel at home.

“In the refuge it was only two bedrooms so I was sharing with the two girls and the three boys were in a bedroom themselves.

“In our new flat we still have the boys aged 10, eight and six in one bedroom.

“The two youngest wind him up and they can never agree on anything – the 10-year-old just wants to do his own thing and have some peace and quiet.

“We’re living on top of each other and the only reason I took this flat was because I wanted security and a home for my kids rather than being in a refuge flat miles away from any family.”

Since moving into her flat she has been asking her housing association to be moved to somewhere more suitable but she has been told she could be up to 100th on the waiting list.

A spokeswoman for the housing association said they were aware she had an application for a new house but added her current property meets her needs.