A MOTHER has spoken out about her ordeal of living in “unsuitable” council accommodation.
Kayley Chapman, 22, and her partner have been living with daughter Ruby, five, and two-month-old baby Scarlett in a one bedroom flat in Whitehawk, Brighton, since February.
She said her daughter’s room is unsuitable, the stairs are impacting on her health, and one ant infestation was so bad, the insects were crawling over her baby’s crib.
The young mother said: “When we told the temporary accommodation people that this flat was unsuitable they told us that if we didn’t take it we would be homeless.
“And we wouldn’t get any help from the council whatsoever.
“The way we have been treated by the council is utterly disgusting.”
Kayley said her daughter Ruby’s room is unsuitable and she has to sleep next to a boiler.
Plus there is a false window from the toilet which looks into her bedroom.
Ms Chapman told a council official that the room was so small that her daughter would not have enough space for a wardrobe.
Ms Chapman said she is asthmatic and is currently recovering from haemorrhaging during pregnancy.
She added that having to fold up her daughter’s buggy to navigate the stairs a number of times each day is making both conditions worse.
She said: “Some days I can’t take my eldest to school because I am in a huge amount of pain.
“I have now got an internal infection from having to continuously lift my buggy up and down stairs as that’s the only way to get it up or down.”
She said that the flat had an ant infestation one weekend because the flat is “poorly built” and added the insects were crawling in her baby’s crib and she had to get a family member to fix a plank of wood which was allowing the insects in.
Ms Chapman says the council has ignored her concerns and “have an answer for everything.” She added: “We just want somewhere inappropriate and for the council to take into consideration that we have difficulties.”
Brighton and Hove City Council were contacted for comment.
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