‘My housing officer told me to sleep on a park bench with my 11 month old son.”
A pregnant 21 year old from Harold Hill who suffers with mental health issues is currently struggling to live at Abercrombie House surrounded by drug users.
Molly has lived her whole life in Harold Hill and found herself homeless with her 11 month old son at the start of lockdown. She was ‘sofa surfing’ with her little boy and had no where to go when she was told by her council officer to sleep on a park bench.
Molly told the Havering Daily: “I was sofa surfing then landed up with nowhere to go and with lockdown everything became even harder. My housing officer told me I should look for private renting but no one will take housing benefit. He then suggested I sleep on a park bench. I have an 11-month-old son.
“I suffer from mental health issues and all this is giving me really bad anxiety. I am now at Abercrombie House but the place is not suitable. My son and I are surrounded by drug users.
“My housing officer and team leader told me that I cannot afford to live in Havering and that I should look at moving to Grays instead. Harold Hill is my life, I don’t want to move this is the only area I know.
“I’ve been really messed about by the housing team. Now I’ve been told that after 56 days I can be a priority and get a place for my son and I but I don’t even have a bidding number.”
Molly does not feel safe living in the Harold Hill hostel which has made her mental health state even worse.
“The people in the room next door smoke weed and the smell comes through into my room. The lady near me overdosed last week and they found her collapsed on the kitchen floor. I often sit out in the communal gardens as it can be really depressing sitting in a room all day with my son, so we like to sit out in the open but then we found all drug paraphernalia out there.
“I don’t feel safe living here and now I’m back on anti-depressants as I’m struggling everyday.”
Councillor Jan Sargent is working with Molly to try and get this matter resolved. She told the Havering Daily: “I have spoken to staff at the hostel, I have written to the Community Safety team and the police to get their help in resolving this matter as quickly as possible. Councillor Eagling and Wise have also been helping me trying to get Molly rehoused as quickly as we can.”
Molly finished: “The staff at the hostel are lovely but it is full of drug addicts and the police come on a daily basis. My son and I can’t live like this.”
