A SPENCERS Wood family are desperately seeking help as they struggle with overcrowding in their council house.
And they one of hundreds of families in this situation.
Natasha Kelly lives in a two-bed maisonette with her partner and four children.
She moved into the council property a decade ago with her partner and then four-year-old, but following the arrival of her three other children, she has yet to be moved to a bigger home.
She said that she currently sleeps on a mattress on her living room floor with her partner, two-year-old James, and 11-month-old Jasmine after giving Joshua (13) and Jessica (7) the rooms upstairs.
As the four of them bed down each night, they are forced to dodge water dripping through the ceiling from the bathroom — in seven different places, she said.
Ms Kelly said that the living situation is putting a strain on her mental health, and she is concerned about the impact it is having on her family.
“I’m really struggling because of this property,” she said. “There is nowhere that I can go to just breathe by myself.
“I sleep in the living room, and live in it too.”
Due to the ages of her children, Ms Kelly is entitled to a four-bedroom property.
“They said I’m at the top of the list, but don’t say when I’ll be moving,” she said.
In Wokingham borough, more than 350 families are living in overcrowded homes due to a huge demand for social housing, said Cllr John Kaiser, executive member for finance and housing.
“Unfortunately the demand far outweighs the supply,” he said.
“Each case is assessed and awarded a priority banding in line with our allocations policy based on the applicant’s current housing situation and need.”
He also said that vacancies are unpredictable.
Ms Kelly said that her family have been moved out of the building three times for repairs.
Once, when the living room ceiling fell through, and most recently, when a hole around five inches wide and three inches deep appeared in her living room floor before Christmas.
She said that council contractors have found asbestos in the ceiling, and is worried it could cause a health hazard to her family.
“The people who checked the asbestos came in dressed like spacemen,” she said. “And there’s me and my children living in it.
“My aunt died of asbestos cancer. If it was just me, I wouldn’t care so much, but I’ve got children living in the house.”
Cllr Kaiser said that repairs have been made at the property, and a surveyor has made requests for additional work to be done.
Ms Kelly said that on Monday, workmen arrived to repair her bathroom and the leaks.
“They pulled back the floor and said they hadn’t had a report for asbestos,” she said.
Ms Kelly said that the floor was left pulled back when the contractors left.
“I don’t see how they can leave me like that, with water leaking from my ceiling.”
Cllr Kaiser said there is an established repairs process.
“We ensure that our properties are kept in a good state of repair, comply with all relevant legislation and are fit for purpose,” he said.
Cllr Kaiser said that when a council house becomes available, staff look at its size and location, and then look to the housing register and consider the resident’s priority banding, their areas of choice, and size of the property required.
He added: “There is a limited number of council and partner housing association homes within the borough.
“We encourage households who are current social housing tenants to register for mutual exchanges so that they can be considered for housing association properties on Homeswapper.”
