A fed-up mum who has been on stuck on a council house waiting list for five years says she has no idea when she will get the home she needs for her five kids. Mia has been living in temporary accommodation in Birmingham since April 2018 with her children, one of whom has severe autism.
The mum believes she deserves to be given a home after waiting so long and says the system is "unfair". She explained how she has been moved into the higher priority Band A but has been told there are still at least 200 people ahead of her on the waiting list, meaning she doesn't know how long she will have to keep waiting.
Around 20,000 people are on the city council's waiting list and applicants can wait years before moving into a property. And Mia's struggles highlight how difficult it can be to secure council housing in a city where the battle for social housing is hugely competitive because demand significantly outweighs supply.
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Council bosses said due to the large waiting list it could take "considerable time" to secure a property but insisted the process was fair and those with the greatest need were prioritised. But the angry mum said: "I have five children, three of them are autistic, one is more severe.
"He is nearly six and gets one-to-one support. In temporary accommodation I can’t redecorate, I can’t provide for his sensory needs. Instead of him improving he's got worse. But the council don’t take it seriously.
"I have been moved to band A but there is at least 200 people ahead of me. The system is not fair, as people like us get pushed behind."
While Mia admits the property she is currently in is "not too bad", she adds it's "not in the best condition" and is unsuitable for her large family. The mum-of-five is waiting for a four-bedroom house and the council confirmed that will likely mean she will have to wait even longer.
"There is a bath with no shower so it’s very difficult to give all five a bath," she added. "The road is right outside the house, it’s not safe for my son as he has no awareness of danger around him.
"I have submitted letters from his school but they (the council) don’t want to know. Whenever there is a four-bedroom house on the website close to my children's school, I always request but get told that everyone in my situation and to wait for my turn on the waiting list.
"Not everyone has special needs for their children." A Birmingham City Council spokesman said: "Unfortunately there is a severe shortage of affordable homes in Birmingham reflecting the national housing crisis.
"There are currently 20,000 households on our housing register and around 5,000 in the highest band A category. This can means that it can take a considerable time to secure a suitable property, especially larger family homes.
"We have just reviewed our allocation policy to ensure that it is fair and in particular it gives priority to those in greatest need. Any tenant who feels they have been waiting too long should discuss their case with one of our housing officers who can advise them on their options, including renting from housing associations and the private sector."
*Mia's name has been changed for this article to protect her identity
- Have you been stuck on a council housing waiting list for a long time? Contact richard.guttridge@reachplc.com to share your story
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