Priced Out: Life on the Edge of Regeneration

Resident: I was in a room in a shared house… and honestly it was horrible.  There were pests, insects everywhere, damp. I kept reporting it to the landlord. He was abusive.  He lived next door and you could see his house and how well he kept it and how he left his tenants next door in a state of disrepair.  I called the council to alert them to the conditions I was living in to see if they could help. A person from the council came and visited.  Council Worker: You shouldn't be living like this. Don't worry, we're going to help you out of this place. We're going to do something about it.  Resident: But nothing happened. I kept trying, going back to the council. A year they left me there.  Eventually I was advised by a friend to take legal action and when we did that they offered me temporary accommodation. It was a huge relief to get out of that situation. I was lucky in that I didn't have to go to one of the hostel type places I've heard about. I was really fortunate. I went into another room in a house but it was much better. It had its own issues but compared to what I'd just come from it was like I was in a lap of luxury.  I was there for about six months before they eventually put me in the place I'm in now.  So the place I'm in now, it's still temporary accommodation but I've been here since 2011 and I know it's temporary but I've been here so long I can't see this ever changing. When I've tried asking the council about the housing list they literally just laugh.  Council Worker: We’ve got people who've been on the list for 20 to 30 years.  Resident: So here's the thing, if they were to tell me that, okay, this is your permanent home now then I'd be happy because then it would be my permanent home. But the problem is that it's not permanent. Despite how long I've been here and despite however long I might remain here there's always a problem that because it's classed as temporary accommodation they could for any reason decide to take it away and then move me on to another place.  And the idea of that is what stops it from truly being what I would consider a home. And just being used to this area now having made so many friends and connections in the community it causes me anxiety, you know, like I'm on edge. They could move me at any time.  I know I'm very fortunate to have even what I do. I'm really grateful.  But your home. It shouldn't be temporary, right? It should be home. It should be somewhere that you are safe. It will always be there for you. And for me that's not the case.