Protestors said they were “appalled” at the way Shamilah Edwards had been treated by Haringey Council since she returned to London from Sweden at short notice in June 2022.
The mum-of-three has been housed in the same single bedroom for the past two-and-a-half years, despite claiming she was initially told that this was only emergency accommodation that would last for no more than two months.
The whole family lives out of one room, which has a double bed and a bunk bed, as well as shared bathroom and kitchen facilities with other residents.
Shamilah works 30-hour weeks as well as caring for her children, but says the local authority has not offered her a single alternative home.
Her case has been taken up by community union ACORN Haringey, which staged a protest outside the council’s offices in Wood Green last Wednesday (February 26).
Activists say police were called to the protest twice – reportedly once by security and then by protestors.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed that officers attended on both occasions, adding that “no criminal offences had been committed”.
“I’m appalled by the casual indifference with which Shamilah has been treated,” said ACORN Haringey’s Reuben Bard-Rosenberg.
“She’s a mother trying to do her best for her three kids in the single room that they’ve all been sharing for years.
“Now it’s time for Haringey Council to do their part. The time for them to sort out Shamilah’s situation is now.”
After submitting a formal complaint to the council last October, Shamilah final received a response in January – but activists say she has been “fobbed off”, with her situation remaining unchanged.
The community union also pointed out that legislation that prevents people being temporarily housed in private bed and breakfast accommodation for more than six weeks does not apply in Shamilah’s case as her unit is owned by the council.
They claimed this amounted to the council “effectively availing itself of a legal loophole”, allowing it to house families indefinitely in accommodation that is equivalent to a BnB.
Haringey Council says that Shamilah’s housing officer recently referred her to Beam, an organisation that helps people at risk of homelessness find private sector accommodation.
The local authority added that although it has also awarded the mum-of-three urgent priority B on its housing register, demand “vastly outstrips supply” so the average waiting time even for those in urgent need is “very long”.
Cllr Sarah Williams, Haringey Council deputy leader, said: “We fully understand that living in shared accommodation of this nature is far from ideal and appreciate the challenges Shamilah is facing.
“However, like all London boroughs, we are dealing with a homelessness crisis with huge demand for assistance while our options for securing self-contained accommodation are severely limited as landlords leave the market or request their properties back.”
