Londonderry Mothers Face Housing Uncertainty Weeks Before Christmas

Four mothers from Londonderry have stated they are experiencing housing uncertainty after the Housing Executive informed them they must vacate their emergency temporary accommodation just weeks before Christmas. Cliona Mulvenna, 19, who has an 18-month-old baby girl, has been residing in the privately-owned apartment block in the Waterside with several other individuals. She indicated that she does not know what the future holds, having been told approximately a week ago, along with three other women, that they need to move out. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) confirmed to BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today programme that “discussions with this landlord are ongoing”. Ms Mulvenna noted significant uncertainty and, despite making repeated phone calls, has been unable to obtain a direct answer from the authorities. “I just want safety and stability for my child,” she said. “She really needs that stability at that age, it would be beneficial for her development, she needs that.” “Constantly moving to different areas will not be great for her and her development.” Ms Mulvenna expressed her desire for her daughter to have a single home and affirmed her intention to fight for her to have “one place where she feels safe and loved”. The 19-year-old mentioned her reluctance to put up any decorations on her Christmas tree, fearing she might need to pack all her possessions and move once more. For some families in this accommodation, including Ms Mulvenna, this marks the second time in weeks they have encountered upheaval. They discovered in October that they had to leave a hotel where they were being housed due to the city’s Halloween festivities. Leonie McLaughlin, a mother of three, stated that she simply received a phone call informing her family they were to be moved, but was not provided with any details regarding the timing. Ms McLaughlin said she has since been allocated a house, but was informed it would not be ready until the New Year, leaving her family’s Christmas location uncertain. “We haven’t even unpacked here, we are still living out of suitcases,” she said. “We were in a hotel six weeks before we were moved here and myself and my husband were separated for those six weeks into two separate rooms with our children.” Ms McLaughlin noted the difficulty in organising daily family routines under their current circumstances. “I’m constantly being asked by them ‘are we having to move today?’,” she said. “I think they [the children] are as anxious as we are.” One mother, who wished to remain anonymous, stated she has two children, aged 9 and 6, and was concerned about how any move would affect them. “I don’t know what to do, it’s all confusion,” she said. “My two children have just started to get settled here and now, just before Christmas, they keep asking: ‘Are we still going to be here?'” “They don’t know if Santa will be able to come to the flat here.” She conveyed her deep-seated belief that one day they will be able to move into their “forever home,” but remarked that they are currently engaged in a “waiting game.” “We don’t know if we are going to be moved today, tomorrow, we just don’t know.” Earlier this week, the NIHE reported facing “unprecedented and record-breaking levels” of individuals seeking emergency accommodation. More than 4,500 households utilized emergency temporary accommodation last weekend. The latest Stormont figures indicate that over £34 million was spent on temporary accommodation in Northern Ireland during the last financial year. Providing more social, affordable, and sustainable housing is among the key priorities outlined in the Stormont Executive’s draft programme for government. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.