I sleep on the sofa with my son in a pram after I was made homeless – it feels like no-one wants to help us
A MUM is sleeping on the sofa with her son in a pram next to her after being made homeless – and feels as though no-one will help them.
Rebecca Hopkins, 22, claims Bridgend Council has not provided her and her one-year-old son with any suitable housing options.
The mum-of-one, from Bridgend, South Wales, registered as homeless three weeks ago after she and her ex-partner split.
Since then, she has been staying on her mum’s sofa while her son sleeps next to her in his pram in the living room.
Rebecca told Wales Online: “I’m staying with my mum in a two-bedroom house.
“My sister lives here, my mum lives here, and the bedrooms are rather small.
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“I spoke to the council and they told me I was a priority last week and they’ve since told me I’m not a priority anymore.
“I just broke down crying and I just said to my mum, ‘No-one wants to help me’.”
Rebecca said she was initially offered a bed and breakfast which she said was unsuitable to raise a child in.
Bridgend Council said the mum had not been downgraded in priority and has been offered housing in North Cornelly, Bridgend.
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“They offered me temporary accommodation but it’s right out of my support network,” Rebecca said.
“It’s not accessible for me to be somewhere where I haven’t got a network. It’s two bus rides away.”
The mum hopes to leave her mum’s sofa as she is worried her son’s development will be affected if he constantly sleeps in a pram.
But she said she still needs to be nearby for support and Rebecca’s mother has asked that accommodation is found closer to the family.
She added: “I suffer with post-natal-depression. It’s having a really big impact on me being back here.”
Rebecca says she has called repeatedly to get an update on when she will be offered suitable accommodation but is yet to be told how long it will take.
Bridgend Council said it has offered Rebecca temporary housing while they look for longer term options.
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A council spokesman said: “The council offered the applicant a temporary property while she waits for permanent premises to become available, but she has chosen to turn that offer down and stay at her current address while the council continues to look for longer-term premises.
“She remains on our local housing register, but as we do not have empty properties waiting to be occupied, she also has to wait for one to become available.”