A mum whose London council flat is so small she has to share a bed with her son complained about the living conditions – only to be offered a property 200 miles away instead.
Naima Bazizi, 36, pays £800 a month to live in Brimstone House, a tower block used by Newham Council.
The flats are used by hundreds of families who are forced to share just eight washing machines between them, reports MyLondon.
Fuming Naima said: “They said it was just for three months but they find excuses. There’s no space here. We sleep in the double bed together.
“Now summer is coming there’s no oxygen in here. I have to keep the window locked because it’s dangerous.”
As well as unsafe living conditions for her son, the flat also meant she had to drop out of studying to become a French teacher because of a lack of study space at home.
And the mum was furious when council authorities told her if she wanted to move it would have to be to Manchester.
She explained: “They said we have got a flat in Manchester but I have got no one outside of London. Why should I move out of London?
“I stopped my course last December. I can’t study at night because it will distract my son. I started a job as a receptionist but I stopped because I was not in a stable position.”
The council space, originally built to provide temporary housing for homeless families, has also been slammed by other residents who live there.
Sadaf Afzal, who has been living in Brimstone House with her son for six months, moaned that Newham Council shouldn’t be housing kids in the tower block for long periods.
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“It’s not suitable for children. My son can open the window and climb up to it – it’s not really safe," she said.
"It has been six months and my son has started getting skin problems. The house doesn’t have a ventilator. The council said we can give you a house outside London but I have been here for 22 years and all my friends are here.”
Newham mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz has pledged to make it her mission to see that all families living with children in Victoria Street will be rehoused.
She added: "I am demanding that the council gets its own house in order by addressing the complaints that residents living in Victoria Street are making and welcome any resident living there – or in any council property – to report any issues to me…because I will take action."
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