Bourne family of seven stuck in two bedroom home due to ‘ridiculous rule’

A family of seven people who are packed into a two-bedroom home are calling for change to a ‘ridiculous rule’ which has denied them chance to move to a larger house.

Aimee Clarke and Ryan Fewkes are desperately in need of more space as four of their five children are currently sleeping in one room— with two ‘top and tailing’ on the top of a bunk bed and another squeezed onto a toddler bed.

The couple, who both work, have recently applied for a four bedroom home in Bourne but were refused due to a rule which states that only six people could live within that house. With private rents of well over £1,000 a month for a house the size they need in the town, moving is well out of their reach.

They have been on South Kesteven District Council’s housing waiting list for three years and say there are very few five bedroom social homes available.

Aimee, of Bourne, says the current living situation is ‘impossible’ and has actually taken the step of reporting herself to social services on safeguarding grounds as two of the boys have autism.

She said: “I’m at my wits’ end. It is hard living with five children as we are but I also have two children who are disabled and it is having a massive impact on us.

“My four-year-old has severe autism and is non-verbal. He has to have certain things like a hanging swing which is attached to the ceiling and sensory equipment. He gets overwhelmed.

“My eldest son has autism. He has to wear ear defenders at school. He can’t get away from us as the house is so small if he needs to take time out.

“Even meal times are hard. We have built a breakfast bar for the older boys in the kitchen and have to unstack things to put a table out. We are always having to puzzle around the house and move things to do the day-to-day stuff.

“I have to plate up for seven people on a worktop the size of a chopping board.

“For me, it feels like a battle every day.”

The couple have lived in their privately rented home in Holland Close for eight years. The two bedroom home is now home to Ollie, nine, Louie, seven, Cobie, five, Harvie, four and two-year-old Rilie.

Currently Rilie is sleeping in his parents’ bedroom while his older brothers all sleep in the other room. Cobie and Louie are ‘top and tailing’ on the top bunk with Ollie below and Harvie on a toddler’s bed.

Aimee says there is no space for storage of the boys’ clothes so she is forced to have drawers in the hallway — and there’s even a wardrobe in the living room to contain the boy’s toys.

She said: “Harvie can be over-stimulated and can hide upstairs on his bed or behind the sofa with his hand over his ears or eyes. My eldest son could also do with space to take himself away. They go to the space where someone is not.

“Harvie has to sit in the swing when he is over stimulated. It’s a sensory swing that hugs you.

“The other boys are loud and boisterous so it is really overwhelming. Everyone is in the same room all the time.

“It is even difficult doing activities we can’t just sit down with playdough or crafts.

“I try my hardest and they do understand but in a small house it is frustrating.”

The couple joined the waiting list three years ago and have been applying for larger properties.

Four months ago, Aimee had applied for a four bedroom property in Bourne which is owned by Longhurst Housing Association. Based on her family’s needs, Aimee says on that day she was top of the queue.

But, the following day, Aimee learned that her application had been ‘skipped’.

She said: “I rang Longhurst and was told that I was refused because we would be one person over the occupancy as the number is six.

“I have rung people at Longhurst and the council. The council says it has done all it can do and Longhurst said they can’t go over occupancy rules as they are there for a reason.”

The family had contacted the council last week and were told Longhurst will not change its mind due to its rules.

They have also tried to enlist the help of MP Gareth Davies who contacted the council but was unable to help.

Aimee said: “I think it is a ridiculous rule. It should be discounted and look at a personal situation.

“We can’t afford to privately rent as four to five bedroom houses are £1,500 to £2,000 a month.

“I feel like I am between a rock and a hard place. I phone social services to report a safeguarding issue for the children’s need but they can’t help.”

Longhurst has offered no help to the family but have stated that the waiting lists are managed by the local authority.

A Longhurst Group spokesman said: “These homes have certain eligibility criteria attached to them to ensure they best meet the housing need of the local area and that they’re never knowingly over-occupied.

“Overcrowding in homes can lead to issues such as damp, mould and condensation and, as a social landlord, we want to minimise the risk of this occurring in our homes.

“Unfortunately, in this case, the family were unable to bid for this particular property through the council as they didn’t meet the eligibility criteria assigned to it.

“We’d encourage them to remain in contact with the local authority as they will be best placed to find them a suitable housing solution.”

Coun Virginia Moran, district council cabinet member for housing, said: “This family are on our housing register and it has been recognised that an urgent move is required as they are classed as statutorily overcrowded in their current property. They have therefore been placed into band 1 to reflect this urgency.

“The property in question, owned and operated by Longhurst Group, has been assigned as a four-bedroom six-person house and this is due to the size of the property.

“The family remain on the housing register and will be able to bid on other four bedroom properties that are larger and allow for more people to reside.”

We have contacted the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for comment.

A spokesperson said: “This is extremely concerning. No family should live in cramped conditions, and we expect local authorities to prioritise families in severely overcrowded homes.

"We will tackle overcrowding by delivering the biggest increase in social housing in a generation to provide the homes our country needs.”