An East London woman says she has been gripped by “stress and anxiety” after claiming she is being kicked out of her home with only three days’ notice. Michelle Edwards, 47, has lived in her Waltham Forest council flat for over 25 years, and believes she is being treated unfairly after receiving an unexpected notice from the council last week.
Michelle moved into her Walthamstow council flat in 1995. She told MyLondon that there has been talk of a regeneration project for a number of years after the council found the flats were “unfit for purpose”. She also claims that Waltham Forest Council had plans to move Michelle into a new property, but complications brought about by the pandemic and Brexit meant these plans were delayed.
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(Image: Google Maps)
“We received one eviction notice, and nothing happened. It fell through,” Michelle explained. “Then we received another eviction notice in 2018 and a letter last year saying we would be moved out in November 2021.”
Michelle began to pack up a lifetime of possessions, but claims she was never provided with a specific move-out date from the council.
She said: “I happened to be visiting a neighbour and she said, ‘Oh by the way, you won’t be moving in November. I’ve heard that you’ll be moving in January 2022′.”
Michelle said she was taken aback to discover friends on the estate knew more about the situation than she did, though she started planning with January in mind as her new move-out date. As January approached, Michelle claims the date was changed multiple times, leading to increased uncertainty and worry about when she would be placed in her new flat.
Michelle lives with various disabilities which make the practical side of moving house at short notice extremely difficult.
“I’ve had various different health complications over the years,” Michelle said. “I dislocated my left arm, I detached my left foot from my leg […] I’ve got metal plates and rods holding everything together. That’s always given me problems. Walking is quite problematic, and then I have backache from where I’m not walking properly and have chronic pain.”
Michelle also underwent treatment for fibroids, which meant roughly three quarters of her stomach was surgically removed – she is still dealing with the effects of this treatment. According to Michelle, the council told her they would provide a van to help her with the challenges of moving, though says this has not been delivered.
(Image: Michelle Edwards)
On the late afternoon of Thursday, February 24, Michelle received an email from the council. She claims she was invited to move into her new property on Monday, February 28, when her new tenancy would begin. This would give her only three full days to pack up her flat, view the new property, agree to the move and arrange logistical arrangements. Michelle claims this situation has left her “essentially homeless”.
Michelle is happy to move to a new flat, but believes she should have been given adequate time, information and resources to make this move. She believes the way Waltham Forest Council has treated her has even bordered on “harassment,” claiming they have been calling her repeatedly throughout the days encouraging her to move.
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Michelle told MyLondon : “I’m incredibly stressed out, I can’t even quantify the level of stress and anxiety, and it’s just been relentless. I’ve been crying non-stop, my sleeping has been affected, it’s the first thing that’s on my mind when I’m drifting off to sleep, it’s the first thing on my mind when I wake up.”
She added: “To drop an email late Thursday, start my tenancy on Monday – and then you tell me I’m liable for rent on a property I haven’t even seen? How am I supposed to move 25 years’ worth of possessions and move into a new property, that I wouldn’t have even had the keys for, and return it by the Sunday? Nothing makes sense.”
MyLondon approached Waltham Forest Council for a response to Michelle’s claims. Cllr Simon Miller, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, said: “The regeneration of the Marlowe Road estate has been ongoing since 2016, and residents have been kept informed at all times.
“The project will deliver 448 much-needed high-quality new homes, including 150 for Council rent and a further 51 for shared ownership, and an on-site energy centre alongside a new plaza, children’s play area, and commercial outlets. In a consultation held prior to the regeneration commencing, 80 per cent of residents indicated that they were in favour of the area’s redevelopment and we are working with tenants to ensure all moves into their new homes go smoothly.
“We invite any residents who feel they do not have the adequate support they need to contact us so we can work together constructively to find a solution.”
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https://www.mylondon.news/news/east-london-news/disabled-woman-cries-non-stop-23282459