Rhyl single mum feels ‘like a burden on my kids’ amid homelessness

The woman, who asked not to be named, was made homeless in May, and was moved by Denbighshire County Council into the Craig-y-Don Hotel, on East Parade, in August.

Living with her two young children, aged six months and three, the woman said her children have become unwell due to mould in their room.

There are various other safety issues, as well as instances of antisocial behaviour, at the hotel, she added.

Some of the health and safety risks the woman has identified at the Craig-y-Don Hotel (Image: Submitted)

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The woman said: “We are three flights of stairs up at the CYD Hotel, so I have no quick fire escape if there is a fire. This is a health risk to me and my children.

“There is mould in our room which now has fur on it; my kids have now been very poorly because of it since September 24.

“I have a housing officer who I have emailed and messaged countless times, but she never replies.

“There are always razors on the floor of the shared bathroom area with no guards on, and dirty sponges by the shower.

“It’s all affecting me really badly. I feel like I’m a burden on my kids.”

Some of the health and safety risks the woman has identified at the Craig-y-Don Hotel (Image: Submitted)

The woman said that she has been told she and her children would only be staying at the Craig-y-Don Hotel for a maximum of 20 weeks.

She has also sought help from the MS and MP for Vale of Clwyd, Gareth and James Davies respectively, but to no avail so far.

“I’ve got money there to find somewhere private to rent, but there’s nowhere available,” she added.

“I’ll take anything; I just need to be out of here because it’s not safe with kids in here.

“They’ve witnessed so much antisocial behaviour here, and they’re always getting disturbed at night by people outside. My three-year-old isn’t eating much because we have no cooking facilities besides a microwave.

“We have no washing facilities, so I’m having to go to a launderette to wash her school clothes, which costs me £56 every two days.”

Some of the health and safety risks the woman has identified at the Craig-y-Don Hotel (Image: Submitted)

Gareth Davies MS expressed his sympathies with the woman and her children, and urged Denbighshire County Council to take action more prompty.

He said: "I really feel for her and her young family at the moment, in having to live to a standard that would be deemed non-conducive to raising young children by most families.

“I've been helping her and her family for some time now, and I'm currently liaising with the housing team at Denbighshire County Council to see if there can be a timely solution to this problem.

"It's a well-known fact that housing stock is short in the local area, however, I do think it is incumbent on local authorities to still recognise individual circumstances and prioritise their housing allocation to those most in need.

“With her being a single mum-of-two, I certainly feel that Denbighshire County Council need to be proactively looking at housing solutions for her and her family, so they can all reside in a safe environment that is fit for raising children."

Some of the health and safety risks the woman has identified at the Craig-y-Don Hotel (Image: Submitted)

James Davies MP added: "I was very sorry to hear of her temporary housing situation and, of course, it is a concerning situation to be in with her young children.

"I am in touch with her directly and I have been supporting her with this matter.

"I have also recently met with the council to discuss the current temporary accommodation provisions more broadly, and I understand that there are long-term plans in place to improve this situation.”

Denbighshire County Council said it is not appropriate for the local authority to comment on individual cases.

But a council spokesperson said: “We acknowledge that there are waiting times for family accommodation, and we are working hard to reduce the list by fully addressing the need for more housing provision.

“An assessment process is followed for anyone facing homelessness by our homelessness prevention team to determine the level of support needed.

“We manage all applications in accordance with legislation and although we do try our very best to prevent homelessness, unfortunately, some people may still become homeless and at this point, the council will offer and provide temporary emergency accommodation.

“The council also allocate support workers from the homelessness prevention team to those reported as homeless and work closely with them to provide help and support for finding suitable move on accommodation.”