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Sittingbourne mum's nightmare at flat which is 'like a prison' with mice, mould and holes in the wall
06:00, 04 October 2020
updated: 09:44, 04 October 2020
A mum-of-two who has been fighting with the council to move from her one bedroom flat says she feels like she is “living in a prison”.
Vicky Walker and her husband Kenneth live in Broom Road, Sittingbourne , and have been at loggerheads with the local authority and housing association Optivo after a number of problems at their home.
The couple who have two daughters, aged two and three months, say their flat has been riddled with problems, including a re-occuring mice infestation, holes in the floor and wall, asbestos and mould.
The 30-year-old said: “In the last two years we’ve had mice problems more than six times where I’ve had to pay £165 each time to get it sorted, apart from one time when the council came and did it.
“There’s been loads of large holes in the flat which my two-year-old has tripped on and I’ve had to try and avoid when pregnant.
“I don’t feel safe where I live, I’m not happy as it’s affecting my mental health - I feel like I’m living in a prison.”
Vicky developed back problems after her second birth and has been struggling to get up and down the stairs while her husband Kenneth is at work at the Co-op.
“I feel trapped and isolated when he’s not here,” she said.
“I can’t get down the stairs properly, so we’ve been fighting to get moved but nobody is listening to us. I don’t feel safe, my husband doesn’t feel safe.”
The mother is currently sleeping in the front room on the sofa, with her youngest daughter in a Moses basket next to her while Kenneth and their eldest child sleep in the bedroom.
She added: “All we need is a two bedroom place on the ground floor but we could be waiting for five to 10 years.”
A council spokesman said: “We are aware of Mrs Walker’s situation and are doing everything we can to help the family.
'I don’t feel safe, my husband doesn’t feel safe.'
“We reviewed Mrs Walker’s banding last month and found that is in line with our current social housing policy.
“We’ve encouraged Mrs Walker to stay in touch with Optivo to help ease some of the issues she is having with the home she already has, and to continue to look for a mutual exchange as the quickest way to find alternative accommodation.
“Social housing is a nationwide issue and in Swale alone we have 1397 live applications on the housing register with an average of only 300 homes becoming available each year.
“We are working to improve conditions, increase the number of social homes available and review our current policies so the people most in need can find access to social housing but this takes time.
“We will continue to monitor Mrs Walker’s case and offer her the best options we have available.”
An Optivo spokesman added: "We’re doing all we can to support Mrs Walker and are sympathetic to her situation.
"Our housing officer has been in touch to discuss her housing options. The housing allocation priority level is set by Swale Council.
"We’ve now completed all outstanding repairs to Mrs Walker’s home.
"Although Mrs Walker’s tenancy agreement states it’s her responsibility to remove pests from her home, we’re willing to provide any advice we can.
"Our contractor has repaired damage caused by the mice, including carrying out work internally and externally. We also assisted Mrs Walker in arranging a pest control expert to attend her home.
"Mrs Walker raised the issue with damp in her home earlier this year, and we visited and provided advice on managing condensation.
"We appreciate Mrs Walker wants to be rehoused and want to do all we can to assist her.”
