A mum-of-three says London's housing system is 'broken' after being told she's going to be evicted from the mouldy and 'unsafe' house she's lived in for four years.

Shanice Aird is facing eviction from her West London home after her landlord decided they wanted the property back.

However, she is yet to be offered what she deems suitable alternative accommodation and faces homelessness. The 31-year-old, who lives with her three children in the two-bedroom house in Feltham, says Ealing Council has failed in its duty of care to the family.

The council moved Shanice and her children to the property almost four years ago despite, she claims, knowing that it was nearby to an ex-partner whom she had a restraining order against. The house itself is also riddled with mould, it has faulty electrics which she says have caught fire, and holes in the wall which have led to mice getting inside.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "It's heartbreaking, especially as a mum, I feel like I'm failing my children. My kids miss school because they're constantly ill, they get hurt by the cramped conditions in the house. The constant rejection of having to send emails, always being ignored, told it's your fault, I can't even put into words what it feels like. The housing system is broken, temporary homes are supposed to be a lifeline, not a survival battle, something needs to change."

Before having children, Shanice lived with her grandmother in Acton. Ealing Council, which has a duty of care to the family, moved them to Feltham in 2021 after Shanice witnessed a teenager being stabbed outside her home, something which has left her with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She also lives with bipolar disorder.

Mould in Shanice Aird's home in Feltham (credit: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon).

Since finding out she was being evicted from the property Shanice says she has desperately tried to work with the council to find a new home. She said: "We've been told to wait for a new property and just bid on [bidding platform] Locata, but in that time we are in a tiny house with exposed electrics, mould, and we've even had mice get in through holes in the wall.

"I was moved here in 2021, and I immediately complained to management about the condition of the house. As the years have gone past, there's damp, mould, faulty electrics, the floor is sinking and we're overcrowded. It's a fire hazard, one of our plug socket has even set on fire… they are putting our lives at risk.

An Ealing Council spokesperson said: "Ms Aird has not told us about any concerns regarding her safety at the property, holes in the wall, or a rodent infestation."

Shanice added: "I'm constantly worrying about the safety of my children, the constant chest infections caused by mould, the electrics… I was only electrocuted by another socket a few days ago. Then there's the fact we are so cramped and overcrowded."

Ealing Council say the home is not currently classified as overcrowded under current legislation.

A spokesperson added: "The landlord's managing agent was repeatedly denied access to the property by Ms. Aird, which has contributed to outstanding repairs issues remaining unresolved.

"We will continue to liaise with the managing agent and Ms Aird to arrange access to the property and ensure that all reported repair issues are assessed and addressed."

Shanice says she initially denied access because the agent did not have a report detailing what work was being undertaken.

She says she later granted access and explained to the agent that at the time she was in court about the alleged arrears and the eviction, however, he allegedly said he 'doesn't want to get involved' and left.

Shanice has a seven-year-old son, a five-year-old son, and a three-year-old daughter. The children share a room in the small house with a triple bunk bed. The rooms are so cramped that one of her children 'split their head open' after falling and knocking it in their bedroom a few weeks ago, she says.

She told the LDRS: "I told them it would be unsafe for me. Luckily it has been okay, but they told me if I didn't take it I'd be making myself intentionally homeless. I tried to explain it to them but they just said 'we will take you off the housing register if you don't accept it'. Imagine something had happened."

Shanice says the house has had electrical faults and mice infestations on top of the mould (credit: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon).

Shanice says she felt forced to accept it despite it being in the same area as her ex, whom she had a restraining order against. Before the landlord can repossess the property, the council has a duty to find suitable alternative accommodation for the family. So far the council has offered one property in Southall, however it is a few minutes from where Shanice had witnessed a stabbing which has left her with PTSD ever since.

Councils have a legal duty to help some people who are facing homelessness, but can discharge their duty if someone is deemed to be 'intentionally homeless'. However, with the housing crisis in London and across the UK, families face impossible decisions of accepting unsuitable and at times dangerous, cramped homes, to avoid sleeping on the streets if they turn an offer down.

Ealing Council has also told Shanice that she is in £136 of rent arrears, something Shanice says is not possible. She told the LDRS that her housing benefit goes directly to the council, who rent her the property from her landlord.

She said: "It's impossible that I'm in arrears, they've pulled a random figure out of the air. The housing benefit is paid directly to them for rent, which is £230 a week. I have no idea where this came from, and they haven't been able to show me any evidence for this."

Ealing Council did not respond to questions put forward regarding the rent arrears attached to Shanice's account.

The mother says if she did not take the home then the council would deem her 'intentionally homeless', forcing an eviction (credit: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon).

Before her move to Feltham, Shanice was in a secured tenancy. This is one of the strongest legal tenancy protections and if you are moved by the council you should be given another secured tenancy.

However, she says Ealing Council moved her to a non-secure tenancy, meaning that she can be evicted through no fault of her own. When she complained to the housing ombudsman, she was told she is in temporary accommodation which she did not realise.

An Ealing Council spokesperson says that they have explained to Shanice 'several times' that she is living in temporary accommodation.

Shanice has also had to step away from a job she loved due to the uncertainty facing her. She told the LDRS: "I loved being an appropriate adult and helping domestic violence victims.

"I hate that because of all of this, and the toll it's taken on my mental health, I've had to stop doing something I loved. I'm studying law at the moment with the Open University. I want to be able to get to a stage where I can pursue that, but I don't know where I am going to live."

An Ealing Council spokesperson said: "We will continue to work with Ms Aird to rehouse her. Her household is registered on the council's housing waiting list, with a band B priority for a move.

"She will be referred to our resettlement team, which will help her identify suitable private rented options in her preferred locations."