My name is Lena, and I am the mother of four children. We are currently homeless. Our eldest daughter lives with Type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease, both of which are life-changing conditions. Our second daughter has special educational needs. Our youngest child is just six months old. He was born during our eviction process and has never had a stable home.

BACKGROUND

We once had a secure life in Surbiton before our children were subjected to harassment by a drunk neighbour. One of our daughters suffered severe trauma as a result, to the point that she temporarily lost her speech. We reported the matter to the police and had to move. During the COVID-19 lockdown, we were unable to secure private rented accommodation and had no choice but to turn to Kingston Council for help.

FOUR YEARS IN UNSUITABLE EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION

The Council placed us in emergency accommodation: a single room in a converted office block for all six of us. There was only one window, no proper living room, inadequate ventilation, drug users in the building, and a large waste disposal facility nearby. We believe it was unsafe and deeply unsuitable for a family.

Our children's school was several miles away, but moving them was not an option. I lost my job because of the five-hour daily commute to school and back. We repeatedly tried to return to private rented accommodation, but every request for assistance was refused. We were told this accommodation was temporary, yet we remained there for more than four years.

NO ESCAPE

Throughout those four years, we repeatedly raised concerns with the Council that the accommodation was unsuitable for our family's needs and asked for help to move. We told the Council on multiple occasions that we did not want to become Council tenants. Our goal was simply to return to private renting, and we repeatedly asked the Council for the assistance needed to make that possible, such as help with a deposit, rent in advance, or other move-on support. Despite raising these concerns over several years, we remained in the same accommodation for more than four years.

In February 2024, our situation was featured in The Sunday Times in a full-page article with photographs and detailed coverage of our circumstances ("No Escape", by Hugo Daniel, published on 22 September 2024). Following its publication, our relationship with the Council became increasingly strained, and eviction proceedings began shortly afterwards.

WHY WE BELIEVE THE EVICTION WAS RETALIATORY

Following the publication of the above-mentioned article, our relationship with the Council deteriorated significantly. We believe the article was not well received and that the subsequent eviction proceedings were retaliatory.

The Council claimed that we owed approximately £3,200 in unpaid service charges. We provided receipts and transaction details showing that the payments had been made using the Council's own payment card system. The Council stated that it could not locate the payments we had made despite the evidence we submitted.

In witness statements filed with the court, the Council stated that there were no vulnerabilities within our family. However, it was aware that:

We were evicted on 5 March 2026 while caring for a disabled daughter, a child with special educational needs, and a newborn baby. We received the relevant decision letter only two days before the eviction took place.

HOW COULD THE COURT APPROVE THE EVICTION OF A VULNERABLE FAMILY DESPITE THE RENT BEING PAID IN FULL AND EVIDENCE THAT THE DISPUTED SERVICE CHARGES HAD BEEN PAID?

This is a question many people ask us.

Our accommodation was temporary accommodation, not a secure or assured tenancy. Under English housing law, people placed in temporary accommodation by a council usually have fewer legal protections than secure council tenants.

We believe the decision was based on incorrect information and that the important evidence we provided regarding the disputed service charges, as well as our family's vulnerabilities, were not properly taken into account. We are continuing to challenge the Council's decisions through the legal processes available to us.

STILL WAITING FOR A DECISION

After the eviction, we immediately requested a formal review and resubmitted all of our supporting evidence. The Council had 56 days to respond, with a deadline of 5 May 2026. More than two months have now passed since that deadline, and we are still awaiting the outcome of the review.

WHERE WE ARE NOW

Since then, we have been living in budget hotels and temporary camping accommodation. We have contacted both large and small organisations that support homeless families, but we have not been able to secure any assistance. We have now spent more than £12,000 on hotel accommodation and storage, all funded through loans that must be repaid. We are unable to secure private rented accommodation due to affordability and income requirements, and we have been unable to obtain emergency or temporary housing. We have

Because we have no address,

Our Children continue to persevere.

YOUR DONATION WILL HELP US

We never imagined that seeking help after being harassed would lead us here. All our children were born in the UK, they are British, English is their only language, and they love their country. We want to protect their sense of belonging, trust, and hope. Right now, they feel abandoned by the authorities they believed would protect them. We can afford to pay private rent if we are able to secure a property. What we need is the opportunity to get back on our feet and provide our children with the stable home they deserve.

EVIDENCE

We have retained extensive documentation relating to our case, including The Sunday Times article mentioned above, payment receipts, correspondence, court documents, medical evidence, support letters from our children's schools, our daughter's diabetes team, our baby's health visitors, as well as other supporting records. We are happy to provide appropriate evidence to journalists, legal representatives, or other relevant parties who wish to verify our account.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story.