Mum forced to live in a single-bedroom mould-ridden flat with her seven kids

“I don’t know where to turn. All I want is a little bit of help and for my children to be able to sleep properly and go to school with a fresh head,” an exhausted Cheryl says.

Alexandra Feiam

3 min read

August 29, 2023 - 11:10AM

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Every morning, 38-year-old Cheryl rustles up her seven kids from their beds - which are placed on the floor.

Grabbing the bedding, she puts it away so her kids have space to play. The kid’s clothes are stuffed behind a couch, and mould covers every corner of the property.

She is currently squeezing all seven of her kids into a single-bedroom flat in Manchester, UK, and the council can’t help her find a bigger place.

Cheryl and her seven kids share a single-bedroom flat in Manchester. Source: Manchester Evening News

Mum-of-seven cramped into a single-bedroom flat

“I can't live like this much longer,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “I'm in tears every day.”

“The children hate the living situation,” she added. “But I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall.”

Cheryl was assigned the property in June 2020 when she gave birth to her youngest child.

It was intended for two people only, but she had to bring her six kids with her for reasons she couldn't control.

The 38-year-old pays £389 (AUD$763) per month for the flat, but it barely has enough room to swing a cat, let alone raise seven children.

She lives there with her kids, Lacey, 10, Corey, 14, Oakley, 6, Colton, 9, Skylar, 8, Laila, 2, and Leah, 15. The older kids share two rooms, and Cheryl sleeps on the floor with her three youngest, Laila, Oakley and Colton.

“I try to make it comfy,” she explained. “I put thick blankets and pillows down. But they need proper beds.”

Cheryl sleeps on the floor with her kids. Source: Manchester Evening News

Flat filled with damp and mould, with no room to dry clothes

What makes the situation worse is the house’s condition. “There's so much damp in the flat because I do all my washing and drying here - there's nowhere else I can do it,’ she said.

“The children have always got coughs and colds. The damp worries me. It's just horrible. I have got clothes round the back of my settee because I don't have anywhere else to put them.”

She explained she informed the public housing company, First Choice Homes (FCHO), about the mould, but her concern was dismissed.

“They told me you need to open your windows,” she said. “They said you have too much washing and drying, but what else am I supposed to do?”

The conditions don't improve when the weather warms up, either. The flat starts to feel like a sauna in the sweltering heat, but Cheryl can barely open the windows.

When the kids get outside, there’s barely any room to play.

The one-bedroom flat is ridden with mould and damp. Source: Manchester Evening News

“All I want is for my kids to sleep properly and go to school with a fresh head”

Cherly claimed she and her social worker begged the Oldham Council and FCHO for more suitable housing, but they were rejected. Regardless of her complaints, she joins the waitlist of 106 other people who require better accommodation.

But Cheryl is still “trying to fight” for a better place to live. “I do everything everybody asks me to,” she said. “The kids can't sleep properly - the situation is awful.”

In response to her requests, Oldham Council explained they have no suitable five-bed accommodation for Cheryl and her family.

“We are making our contribution to addressing the chronic shortage of social housing,” said a spokesperson for FCHO. “Last year, we built 137 new homes, and we are on target to build 188 this year, including larger family homes.

“We are committed to providing homes that are safe and fit for purpose and would encourage any of our customers experiencing any issues to contact us as soon as possible so we can work together to resolve them.”

But the mum-of-seven said she’d be happy with anything other than what she’s got. “Even if they give me a three-bed, I can make it work,” she said. “I just want them to give me a house that's suitable for me and the children.”

“I worry about my children having to grow up too fast,” she admitted. “It is affecting my mental health. I recently was in hospital, diagnosed with shingles due to stress and worry. The kids can't sleep, they need their own bedrooms.”

According to Cheryl, she has been advised to move away from Manchester to find more affordable housing. Alternatively, she was told to rent privately, but its cost is far too high.

“I honestly don't know where to turn. I have done everything,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “All I want is a little bit of help and for my children to be able to sleep properly and go to school with a fresh head.”