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Our family’s experience mirrors national housing issues

Sinéad Butters reflects on recent conversations with family and friends, and how they highlight the need to build more social rented homes and fix supported housing

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Picture: Getty
Picture: Getty
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In today's IH50 @SineadBAspire reflects on her own family's experience and the housing crisis #ukhousing

Sunday was Mother’s Day.

We drove to Birmingham and pulled up outside our son’s university accommodation down winding backstreets.

I noticed from the car some daffodils in pint glasses in the window, and thought how lovely it was that the flatmates bought flowers to brighten up their room.

To me, daffodils are a symbol of hope, of renewal; of inexorable, resilient nature, pushing through despite everything. They are a favourite that always makes me smile.

The previous day we had visited my husband’s mum and dad in a remote, rural, privately rented cottage. His dad has Alzheimer’s and is partially blind from diabetes, yet they valiantly struggle on.

His mum is worried how she will look after his dad when her fibromyalgia flares up. To be honest, we don’t know either.


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On Mother’s Day itself we visited my mum, who now lives alone after my dad died six years ago. She under-occupies a large house which, in the recent past, she has struggled to sell.

Perhaps she is asking too much for it, or perhaps she just wants to feel that the home she and Dad worked hard for should hold more value to pass on to her children; “It’s what Dad would have wanted.” Mum and Dad’s first home was a caravan.

“Mum struggles to manage the house, but is adamant she does not want to live in ‘those community living places’ and strives to remain independent.”

There are no bungalows or independent supported housing locally that would entice Mum to sell, and no prospect of any either.

Mum struggles to manage the house, but is adamant she does not want to live in “those community living places” and strives to remain independent. She is 79. We hope to install a stair lift soon, as we are worried she may fall. She says she will decide when she needs it. There’s no telling her.

Meanwhile, a friend who is moving house popped in, rather excited and nervous about the forthcoming life change.

She couldn’t wait to move out of her flat. She said the neighbour below holds all-night parties, there’s loads of anti-social behaviour and someone is sleeping rough in the garages. At this day and age, she said!

“We need more social rented homes, we need to sort out supported housing.”

I reflected, in the night, how our experience as a family mirrors some of the issues we talk about nationally in housing.

We need to build more, we need more socially rented homes, we need to sort out supported housing.

How are we going to deal with our older people as they live longer but less well? Why do we still have a homelessness crisis with people living in garages and on the street? What sort of future do we hope for for our children?

My son is studying French, and says he wants to spend his year out later this year working at the UN supporting refugees. I am proud of that.

When I got home I arranged my Mother’s Day present in a vase on the kitchen table. The daffodils were for me.

Sinead Butters, chair, Placeshapers and chief executive, Aspire

 

 

 

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