Domestic violence survivor ‘petrified’ to be moved into hotel by council

A victim of domestic violence trying to “start over” has been evicted from her property and is being forced into a hotel by the council despite living with multiple health conditions.

Katrina Sejdija, 49, lives with her son Dilon Sejdija, 18, who is her full-time carer in a private rented property in St Peter’s Road, Croydon.

Ms Sejdija’s landlord is selling his property and she will have to leave on October 11.

She said: “I can’t afford any other accommodation right now because of rent increases [in the last year].

“The council told me I have to go to them on the morning I leave and they will house me in a Premier Inn.”

Ms Sejdija has a number of mental and physical health issues including Asthma, COPD, Long Covid and a degenerative spine condition.

She used a mobility walker and has a therapy cat to calm her anxiety and asthma.

She said: “I’m petrified,  I saw on the news that a family was in temporary accommodation and moved 10 times in six months.

“The council said they can’t help me move my belongings – how do I do that with my mobility walker?

“They also told me I have to get rid of my cat and all my things have to go into storage.

“I will not have another thing taken away from me – I’ve had everything taken away from me.”

Ms Sejdija say she was abused when she lived in Kosovo between 2011 and 2017.

After staying briefly at a women’s refuge, Ms Sejdija came home to “start over”.

She said: “It’s taken me so many years to save money for my things- most of it is still in Kosovo and you want me to stick it in a garage that might get ruined or stolen.”

Since Ms Sejdija was told she would have to move out of her property in August 2022, she said her mental health has suffered.

She said: “I was going to the job centre and my case worker asked me about housing and I just broke down.

“The housing officer from the council has been so rude and told me I wasn’t looking for properties hard enough.

“But she was sending me properties that were out of my budget or hours away and my son goes to college in Croydon.

“She even misspelled my name and said I was from Kosovo on my Personal Housing Plan even though I am a British citizen.”

Ms Sejdija and her son will be moved into the hotel together but they are not guaranteed to be in the same room or on the same floor.

She said: “I can’t be in a room on my own. Sometimes I need help getting dressed and there’s a danger I might fall in the shower because of my back.

“Right now I have my neighbour for company and my son always pops his head into my room and asks me if I love him for a joke – if we’re in different rooms I won’t be around anyone I know.”

Ms Sejdija said she found a property close by that she could move into if the council made up the difference of £650 until she can afford the rental, but the council rejected her offer.

She said: “It doesn’t make any sense, the council has no money but they’re putting me in a hotel that could cost them £6,000 a month.”

Croydon council has been contacted for comment.

Pictured top: Katrina Sejdija outside her flat in Croydon (Picture: Katrina Sejdija)