‘Once I leave here, I’ll be on the side of the road’ - young mum
NOTICE Single mum told she must be out by August
In March, The Anglo-Celt spoke to two women facing eviction as the Dáil voted to lift the Winter eviction ban. We caught up with them again to find out how their efforts to find a new home have gone...
Lisa, is a single mother in her 20s who works in the early education sector. She and her five-year-old were told to be out of their house by August as he landlord is trying to sell the property.
However, with just two months left to go, she still hasn’t been able to find a new place to live.
“I’m in the same situation as before,” she says.
“My landlord has told me to get out by August. I have nowhere else to go. Once I leave here, I’ll be on the side of the road with all of my things in bags. Even with the assistance of HAP [Housing Assistance Payment], I’m still nowhere near being able to afford anything. There’s very little available, and everything that is available is way out of my price league. There is one place in my area up for rent, and it costs €1,400 a month. I can get €400 off it with HAP, but I can’t pay €1,000.”
She had previously hoped to put down a deposit on a house alongside her former partner, however, their relationship ended. She claims to have been a victim of domestic abuse, and says her former partner “swiped” all the savings from their joint account, worth €10,000.
Lisa also claims to have spent between €12,000-€13,000 on her current home, only to be served with an eviction notice, something she says makes her feel “used”.
The young mother says that the lack of stability has had a hugely negative impact on her life.
“Even if I do find somewhere, it’s more than likely that I’ll be in the same position this time next year having to look for somewhere else.
“It’s very distressing for me but it’s also not good for my child, all this moving around is very unsettling for him.”
Lisa says she is regularly in contact with the housing department of the council, who have so far been unable to assist her.
“They said they’d send my details to the housing officer, who said they were only able to prioritise people who were facing eviction that week. I knew one girl who was on the housing list for two years. She was on it after me but got housed before me. Maybe it’s the people who scream the loudest get sorted out first.”
A spokesperson for Cavan County Council, meanwhile, clarified: “Each case is different and there are a variety of factors to consider including the type of accommodation required, the availability of accommodation, the notice given to the tenants etc, so there is no one applicable time frame that covers all scenarios.”
Lisa says that moving in with her family isn’t an option, as the house wouldn’t be able to accommodate them and she is reluctant to find another housemate to live with after her past experiences.
“My family home is quite small, it’s a two-bedroom bungalow and there are three people in it already.
“After my last relationship, I suffered domestic abuse I don’t trust anyone to live with them, so I’m very hesitant to move in with other people. I have to think of the health of my child,” says Lisa.
“I had my whole life planned out, but it fell apart because of one person,” she laments.
Lisa has considered emigrating to Australia but says it’s not really an option due to the cost of such a move.
“I have friends in Australia, I can’t afford to go out to them but I’d consider moving out to them. I don’t have enough saved to go. I still have to pay a lot of bills, which seem to be getting more and more expensive, such as insurance, car tax, childcare costs, diesel, and everything else.”
Lisa says the whole ordeal has had a massive toll on her mental wellbeing.
“I’m in and out of work with mental health issues. My life is very unstable at the minute. I have certs to prove my absences are genuine and my bosses are very understanding, but I’ll lose my job if it keeps going on like this. I don’t know how much longer I can keep it up, especially as the deadline gets closer.”