Mum-of-three in desperate plea for bigger home

A mother-of-three says her home is so small her children have to be taught how to sit at a table at school as there is no room for one.

Stacey Harris and her husband have been desperately bidding for a larger house in Ludlow for their children, who are all under the age of six.

The family has outgrown the two-bedroom social housing property and Molly, Tom and Rory now have no room for their toys, Ms Harris says.

Housing association Connexus, which provides homes in their area, said there is a shortage of larger affordable homes in the region.

Mrs Harris and her family have been on the waiting list for two years and while properties have become available in other areas, they are desperate to stay in Ludlow where their primary support system is.

She told BBC Radio Shropshire: “It’s very frustrating, Molly is struggling at school and the teachers are having to teach her how to sit at a table because we physically don't have the space for one, and the children have to sit on the floor to eat their meals which isn't ideal.

“We’ve had to put a bed guard in because if they fall out of bed they would get stuck."

The family are calling for more affordable homes to be built.

“It’s really depressing, sometimes I don’t want to come home," Ms Harris continued.

“It feels like, because I want to live in Ludlow, I'm penalised for it. It feels like they are trying to shift us out like we’re a problem."

Gary Darlington, head of communities at Connexus, said he recognised the frustrations of the family's experience.

“[We] take the issue of overcrowding extremely seriously," Mr Darlington said.

"We've advised our customer to keep Shropshire Council's HomePoint service, which allocates affordable homes based on need, updated on any changes in the family's circumstances to ensure they are in the correct banding.

“This will improve eligibility and should speed up the process of being offered a larger home from landlords across Shropshire.”

A spokesperson for Shropshire Council added: "We understand the family's concerns and we will always try to meet the needs of those to help access appropriate housing.

"However we are facing significant challenges, in terms of a national housing crisis, and in common with most councils across the UK, we face a considerable shortage of social housing."

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