‘I just need somewhere my children can call home’: Pregnant single mum moved outside borough after section 21 eviction

A pregnant single mother has been moved into temporary accommodation outside her borough after she was served a section 21 eviction by her landlord.

Billie Knapp, 33, was moved into temporary accommodation owned by Southwark council in Englands Lane, Camden, in December, with her two children aged 10 and two years old.

Ms Knapp is 23 weeks pregnant and the full time carer of her son who is diagnosed with ADHD and autism.

From their new flat in Camden, Ms Knapp has to travel with her two children across boroughs to take her son to school in Southwark every day. Ms Knapp says the journey can take up to two hours.

She said: “The whole thing is just sad and so stressful.

“My son gets extremely anxious on busy transport so some mornings we have to wait for a quiet bus or train which means he’s late for school.

“He’s having breakdowns daily. He hates going to Camden every day.

“I’ve had to stay with my mum and she’s only got one bedroom, or my sister and she’s got her own kids and is overcrowded too.”

Ms Knapp said she has officially complained to the council, asking to be moved back to the borough and sent in her son’s medical records twice but they have been rejected.

She said: “It’s not just the travel – the property is just one room, it’s not suitable for me or my son’s needs.

“When we moved in there was so much mould in the bathroom it took them two weeks to clear it while we were living in there.”

Ms Knapp was housed in temporary accommodation by the council after her private landlord served her a section 21 eviction notice, giving her two weeks to leave the property in Deptford.

After two weeks in emergency accommodation, Ms Knapp was offered temporary accommodation in Peterborough or Camden. She said she had “no other option” but to choose Camden.

She said: “I was paying out £500 a month on my rent and I just couldn’t afford it. I can’t go private again, it’s just not an option for me.

“I am on Southwark’s bidding system but I’m currently stuck in band three. I bid every week but I’m not even getting close.

“I just need somewhere I can call home for both me and my children. It’s horrible seeing my son struggle with all this.”

This comes as laws to protect tenants from Section 21 evictions have been delayed until next year – having first been brought to Parliament in 2019.

A section 21 order allows landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason and gives tenants just two months before their landlord can apply for a court order to evict them. 

This system pushes many people into already overwhelmed local authority housing or into homelessness. Southwark’s housing waiting list has just soared to 16,000 people.

Southwark council has been approached for comment.

Pictured top: The Southwark council owned temporary accommodation in Camden and Billie Knapp (Picture: Google Street View/Billie Knapp)