Bianca and Scott May and their four children have first-hand experience of Essex's housing crisis. After decades of private renting, they were evicted and placed into emergency housing for five months, then finally offered temporary housing in Fitches Mews, Maldon, in December 2022.

"On entering the property mine and my husband's hearts sank, we looked at each other thinking it must be some sort of mistake," Bianca told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The couple were met with exposed floorboards, broken glass, a dirty cooker and fridge, loose wiring, missing air vents and damp.

Bianca said: "The bare minimum you expect from a property is to be clean and safe. I'm not asking for it to be Buckingham Palace, but it needs to be clean and safe and at the moment it's so unhygienic. The cooker makes me want to vomit every time I go in there."

The couple eventually moved into the flat, provided by the Salvation Army Housing Association, and since first speaking with the LDRS most of the issues have been resolved.

SAHA says there is now no damp in the property and the cooker has been replaced.

A spokesperson said in a statement: "We're concerned to hear of the complaint by Mr and Mrs May and we spoke with Mrs May as soon as we were made aware of the situation."

The spokesperson confirmed the SAHA would meet Mrs May in January. The statement continued: "Fitches Mews is a scheme intended for use as temporary accommodation for homeless families in Maldon and should meet our high standards at SAHA. We'll be doing everything we can to resolve this."

'Black with mould'

Maldon District Council says it does not own or manage its own housing stock, instead relying on 'housing association partners' to help house residents. (Photo: Ben Shahrabi)

The couple felt they had a choice between moving somewhere unsafe and staying somewhere already taking a toll on their health. The emergency two-bed flat in Burnham-on-Crouch was cramped and miles away from work and school. While the children slept in bunk-beds in one room, Scott and Bianca shared a mattress on the floor despite Bianca's back problems.

Scott said: "Where we are at the moment, the ceilings are black with mould and it's far too small for six people, a small two-bedroom flat."

They say they have worked and paid taxes their whole lives, finding themselves out of work for the first time after the loss of their business at the height of the pandemic. After being issued a "no fault" Section 21 eviction notice, the couple turned to the council, which they say pushed them towards private renting despite their then-lack of income.

Despite its condition, the couple eventually made the decision to move into the new flat, moving in on January 13 on the condition works were carried out. Bianca says they had no hot water for three days, but most of the issues have been fixed. For example, vinyl floors have been offered to cover the exposed boards.

A spokesperson for Maldon District Council said in a statement: "As Maldon District Council does not own or manage its own housing stock, we rely on our housing association partners to help us fulfil our housing duties.

The statement continued: "Demand for both permanent and temporary family sized accommodation within our district continues to be high. This means families can often experience long and challenging periods before suitable accommodation becomes available. Nevertheless, Maldon District Council will continue to work with our Housing partners and maintain regular contact with Mr and Mrs Scott to support them in resolving these issues."

'Because of a boiler, this is where we've got to'

Sarah* was made homeless in February this year. Now living in emergency accommodation in north Essex, she claims she experienced harassment so severe from her former landlord she developed post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

All it took to trigger a bitter legal battle was her boiler breaking. She told the LDRS her rent was reduced while on furlough, but this led to a build-up of arrears. She claims her landlord refused to fix the boiler until the arrears were paid, then tried to evict them.

Letters were allegedly sent to neighbours accusing the family of selling and taking drugs, using untaxed vehicles and pet abuse. The police visited the property after being tipped off that they were breaking COVID lockdown rules. Sarah says this was a "revenge situation" for asking Environmental Health to fix the boiler, and that the accusations are untrue.

Sarah ended up in court in October 2021 and the dispute lasted for over two years. Around that time, she said had a mental breakdown and was diagnosed with PTSD. Physical symptoms meant she could not work, contributing to the build up of arrears.

She said: "That was really scary, especially for my family, because it looked like I was having seizures." She continued: "So overnight, because of a boiler, this is where we've got to."

An agreement was eventually reached that arrears would be waived, but Sarah would have to leave the property. The family, including Sarah's 20-year-old son, moved to emergency housing in a bed and breakfast.

"We're not happy about the fact that we're going to go where we're going but it's a means to an end at the moment," said Sarah. "It's either that or you end up living on the street."

'Horrific circumstances'

Ilana Hirschberg, from Central Law CIC, says there is an 'over reliance' on the private rented sector. (Photo: LDRS)

Ilana Hirschberg, a senior paralegal at non-profit law firm Central Law CIC, said tenants are left in "horrific circumstances" due to an "over-reliance on the private rented sector". She added that Essex is a "legal aid desert" as few firms specialise in advice.

She told the LDRS: "There has been an over reliance on the private rented sector, especially for the lowest income and the most vulnerable people, which has led to under regulated housing circumstances, landlords who are blissfully ignorant of the laws and duties that bind them and tenants left in horrific circumstances as a result."

She continued: "It's something we see a lot, unfortunately it will sometimes end with locks being changed and unlawful evictions. I had another situation where there was racial abuse towards the tenant from the landlord and police interventions were necessary as well. It is unfortunately typical."

The cost of living crisis has further complicated housing disputes. Ms Hirschberg says rents are now so high, either to cover mortgages or simply because landlords can, that even the private rented sector cannot be relied on, with people spilling over into social housing. Waiting lists are worse than they were a year ago.

More homes, particularly those targeted towards people who need them, are needed to help combat the issue, she says.

Higher wages too are needed, so tenants can afford to pay for their tenancies, as is more legal aid for tenants and landlords, who often do not anticipate the complexities of housing.

Better education on how to keep yourself housed, how to rent out your home and use the court system, is consequently needed, she says.

"If we cannot take care of the basic needs of our most vulnerable, who are children and vulnerable adults, then we have failed as a society," she said.

*Sarah asked the LDRS to anonymise her due to the problems with her landlord.

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