Hemel mum and children left in 'heartbreaking' council-run hostel after being made homeless

The family of a homeless woman and her children living in a Hemel Hempstead hostel say she has been left in ‘heartbreaking’ conditions.

They claim that the conditions at Bennetts End Community Hostel are having a ‘dramatic impact’ on the family’s mental health. They say the hostel is so dirty the mum is unable to cook or bathe her children, and instead have to go to a friend’s house to wash.

They also claimed there was anti-social behaviour in and around the hostel.

Dacorum Borough Council, which runs the hostel, has been blamed for not taking responsibility for the poor conditions.

But the council claims that the hostel’s communal areas are regularly cleaned, and urged anyone with complaints to get in touch with a council officer.

The mum, who wished to remain anonymous, was unable to find private-rented accommodation after being made homeless, and now lives in the hostel with her children.

A family member said: “You know, it's really having a major dramatic impact on their mental well-being at the moment and it's having a real detrimental effect on their schooling. To have anybody in these kinds of situations is just heartbreaking. Nobody wants to see anybody living in these kinds of conditions.”

A Dacorum Borough Council spokesperson said: “While we cannot comment on individual cases we encourage all residents in temporary accommodation to work with their Temporary Accommodation Officer to resolve issues where possible such as issues of noise and anti-social behaviour. If the resident feels there are illegal activities taking place these should be reported to the police.

“Where a household is placed into temporary accommodation with shared facilities, it is the responsibility of each resident to ensure that they are complying with the licence conditions, which includes keeping the communal areas clean such as kitchens and bathrooms. Communal areas are cleaned routinely by our Cleaning Service, however, residents must take responsibility for cleaning areas following use. Where residents are not complying with the licence conditions, this may lead to breach of licence action.”

Residents also complained that the gas to the hostel was disconnected last month – but that an officer allegedly said “It is what it is” when questioned whether the bill had been paid by the council.

The council spokesperson did not respond to that allegation but added: “It is important that residents keep the council informed of any changes to their circumstances. If a resident's circumstances have changed and they do not feel their temporary accommodation is suitable they should speak directly to their Temporary Accommodation Officer.

“Additionally if a resident feels a temporary accommodation offer is unsuitable for their needs they can request a review of the suitability by emailing the service at: [email protected] indicating the reasons why the offer is unsuitable and a review will be undertaken in line with the statutory guidelines.”

Hertfordshire Police say there have been no reports about anti-social or illegal behaviour at the hostel.