"We've been sleeping in same bed for years while waiting for home"

A MOTHER and her adult daughter are desperate for a council home after sleeping in the same bed for EIGHT years.

Gloria Elsy Rodriguez, 55, and her 22-year-old daughter Madeleine Estupinan Rodriguez are fed up with their tiny one-bedroom flat in Glenfarg Road, Catford.

The pair, who do not have a living room, cannot afford to move to a bigger property and have been languishing on the housing list for years.

Gloria, who works as a cleaner, fears they may never be moved to a bigger home.

It comes after we revealed earlier this month how a Lewisham Council tenant was breaking the rules by renting out two of her bedrooms on Airbnb – while thousands wait for a property on the housing list.

Madeleine, who works as a nail technician, said: “I’m fed up with the situation. I cry at night after my mum has fallen asleep.

“Sometimes I can’t sleep because of my mum’s snoring. And sometimes she wakes me up when she moves around in bed. We’ve argued a lot because of the situation.

Madeleine and her mum Gloria — **PICTURED: Madeleine said she cries at night because of the situation**

“It’s really sad it’s taken this long to house us. We know people who applied 2 or 3 years ago and they have got a house now.

“I’ve gained weight because of my depression. We deserve a two-bedroom flat. We have been waiting for a long time. It’s about time for us to get something more comfortable”

Gloria added: “It shouldn’t be allowed. I sometimes ask myself if they are ever going to give us a home or if it’s going to be like this forever.

Madeleine fetching clothes — **PICTURED: The pair cannot even stand upright in parts of the bedroom**

“I feel like I’m being ignored by the council. I’m annoyed I can’t pay for a bigger place. It’s because I don’t get a lot of money.”

The pair are already paying £1,000 a month for the privately rented property, which they moved into in 2017.

They became eligible to apply for a council home in 2021 after living in the borough for five years – and they have been waiting ever since for a new place.

Gloria recently took part in a judicial review into how Lewisham Council has handled her case but this proved unsuccessful. She plans to appeal the decision.

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A Lewisham Council spokesman said: “We cannot comment on the individual circumstances of our residents but we will reach out to see what additional support or guidance we can offer.

“There are 11,000 households on our housing register waiting for permanent housing, and there is a severe shortage of available homes.

“Applicants are placed in a priority band according to their needs. There are a number of options available to applicants who disagree with our decisions about their housing application, and they can request reassessments if their circumstances change.”

Home » News » “We’ve been sleeping in same bed for years while waiting for home”

“We’ve been sleeping in same bed for years while waiting for home”

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