Our family-of-9 is cramped in a three-bed home – it’s so crowded it’s a health hazard but the council’s been terrible
A FAMILY-OF-NINE has spoken of their fury after being cramped in a tiny three-bedroom home which is so “seriously overcrowded” that it is a “severe threat” to their health and safety.
David and Danielle Payne live with their seven children in a squashed semi-detached property in Godalming because the council cannot find them a bigger house.
The frustrated parents say Waverley Borough Council has been “utterly terrible” at helping their living situation, which is putting a strain on the family.
The youngest member of the household is two and sleeps in the parents’ bedroom with them.
The oldest child, who is 16, is forced to sleep in the living room downstairs, while the other five kids share the remaining two bedrooms.
The overcrowded house was labelled a Category One hazard by the council’s environmental health officer, which means a “severe threat” to the family’s health and safety – that was five months ago.
David even took it upon himself to convert the property’s outhouse into an extra bedroom after he failed to get permission for the work, but the room is unlivable in the winter months due to the cold and damp.
The cramped conditions have worn down mum Danielle, whose mental health has deteriorated so much she has been signed off work.
Carer David then had to stop working himself so that he could look after his wife and children.
He said: “We don’t get anywhere with the council, they don’t communicate with us.
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“They have been utterly terrible, and they don’t do anything for bigger families.
“We have our rights, but they’re shutting the door in our faces. It’s wrong.”
The Paynes have lived in the Godalming area since 2017 but moved into the three-bed in June 2020 when their previous landlord decided to sell their privately-rented property.
David and Danielle turned to Waverley Borough Council for help in January 2020, who eventually offered them the little home close to the children’s schools.
They were offered the semi-detached house as a private lease rather than a council tenancy, in order to be fair to other households in the area who had been waiting for a council tenancy for several years.
Five months since the environmental health officer’s damning report, the council has still not offered the family an alternative home.
David claims the council is still telling him to bid for three-bedroom houses on the council’s housing register, although the family has been assessed as needing five bedrooms.
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He says he’s been checking the register every week since June 2020 when they moved in but has never seen a four or five-bedroom house listed.
A council spokesperson told Surrey Live: “Waverley Borough Council takes its housing responsibilities very seriously.
“We work extremely hard to manage the high demand for affordable housing in our area and support people into accommodation that meets their needs.
“It is our policy not to comment on cases involving specific tenants.
“We allocate properties according to the tenant’s priority level and the amount of time they have been on our waiting list.
“Our stock of properties with four or more bedrooms is limited, and it can take a number of years for tenants to be allocated one of these.
“This is especially the case if the tenant wishes to remain within a tightly defined local area.”
