Family who faced housing battle after their Kings Hill home was destroyed by fire are 'relieved' to finally be rehomed
18:42, 17 September 2020
updated: 20:25, 17 September 2020
A family who lost everything including their two dogs after a devastating house fire in Kings Hill have finally been rehomed after a housing battle.
Angela Scott’s home in Victory Drive, where she lived with her children James, 18, and Sophie, 16, went up in flames just minutes after she had left to get a bus to Maidstone.
After the fire on August 7 the family-of-three were put up in a Premier Inn hotel room in Allington but faced difficulties getting a temporary home in a suitable location.
The former teaching assistant at the Discovery School fought tirelessly to stay in Kings Hill to be near her children's support network, and the community that rallied together in her time of need.
She was offered a three-bedroom home in Bramley Way but Clarion Housing Group said she was not able to accept it because it was privately rented.
The housing provider instead offered her a three-bedroom home in East Malling which Ms Scott, who doesn't drive, said would have left her isolated and far away from her daughter who is currently in hospital.
Now settling into a two-bedroom ground floor flat in Discovery Drive, Ms Scott says she is 'relieved' to finally have a place to stay.
The 43-year-old said: "I didn't expect a grand palace, all I wanted was to be back on the hill and now we are.
"The little flat we've got is perfect for us for the time being. I don't care that it's small because it's all we need and it means I get to stay here.
"It was never about me demanding things, if it wasn't for my children I would have gone anywhere.
"It was difficult at first but Clarion has been more than accommodating.
"It's starting to look slowly like a home thanks to everybody's kind donations. Some of the stuff has been absolutely overwhelming and we can now start rebuilding our lives."
It could be up to six months until their home in Victory Drive is ready to be moved back into.
The blaze, which firefighters say started accidentally in an upstairs bedroom, ripped through the first floor and the roof, leaving the house uninhabitable.
Two fire crews spent almost four hours fighting the flames.
Rosie, a Staffordshire bull terrier Labrador cross, and Jim, a Staffie, were tragically inside at the time and could not be saved.
A neighbour’s home was also damaged by smoke and water.
