Young Woman's Homelessness Nightmare: Council Accused of Failing Vulnerable 21-Year-Old
A vulnerable 21-year-old woman has described her dealings with Sutton Council as a "kick in the face" as she approaches nearly two weeks of homelessness in South London. Without suitable accommodation, she has been forced to spend hours walking in cold and rainy conditions, leaving her exhausted and battling heightened anxiety.
From Family Home to Sleeping Rough
Ms R, who we have named to protect her identity, became homeless nearly two weeks ago after being asked to leave her family home near Wallington following a breakdown in family relations. With no family support and no fixed income after being signed off from her job as a support worker due to ongoing mental health challenges, she was forced to sleep rough in the area she grew up in.
"It was really scary — I felt so alone," Ms R told the Local Democracy Reporting Service during an interview at Croydon's Centrale shopping center, where she has been taking shelter from the cold.
Council Interactions Lacking Empathy
Despite this being her first experience of homelessness, Ms R says Sutton Council has not treated her case with urgency or sympathy. She claims interactions with the council's housing advisers have been frustrating and lacking in empathy.
"Every time I speak to them, it feels like another kick in the face," she said, recalling one particularly distressing conversation where she claims a social worker told her: "You'd better not be lying to me."
Unsuitable Accommodation Triggers Mental Health Crisis
Ms R says she repeatedly informed the council of her complex mental health needs, including PTSD and severe anxiety, and specifically asked to be housed away from men due to past traumatic experiences. Despite these clear requests, she was offered emergency accommodation in Carshalton that she says was predominantly occupied by men.
"After going inside, I saw there were four men and one woman," Ms R explained. "My anxiety was so heightened that I ended up having a panic attack in the toilet."
She later told her housing adviser she would not return to the accommodation for the sake of her wellbeing, stating: "For someone who doesn't struggle with PTSD and severe anxiety around men, it might have been ideal. But although it was a roof over my head, I would have felt safer on the street."
Exhaustion and Constant Movement
During our meeting, Ms R said she had "not slept" the previous night and felt exhausted from constantly moving around with a duffel bag filled with bedding. "I feel like my body is in fight-or-flight mode," she described.
Her days have been filled with walking around Croydon and taking shelter in shopping centers to escape the cold and damp conditions outside. "Yesterday I sat on a bench inside Centrale for three hours to keep warm," she said. "It was so cold outside I couldn't feel my fingers."
Safety Concerns After Dark
The young woman has developed specific routines to maintain some sense of safety, avoiding certain areas after dark. "The minute it starts to get dark, I leave Croydon and go back to the area I grew up in," she explained. "I avoid Croydon at night because of the types of people on the street."
Administrative Errors and Financial Barriers
Ms R's trust in the process was further shaken when her housing decision letter — outlining the outcome of her homelessness application — was allegedly sent to the wrong email address. "They sent it to an email with an extra letter added," she said. "I only found out because I called to say I hadn't received it."
Additionally, she says the council has suggested private rented accommodation despite her financial situation. "They know I've been signed off work, so I don't have any money coming in," she explained. "Despite that, they keep sending private rent options. One was £600 a month — I obviously can't afford that."
Advocate Says Council Failed Legal Duty
Housing advocate Suzy Otto, who has been advising Ms R, believes Sutton Council has failed to provide their legal housing duty to the 21-year-old. "She's vulnerable and has no safe place to stay," Otto told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. "I just want to make sure she's treated fairly and gets the support she's entitled to."
Council Response and Ongoing Situation
A spokesperson for the London Borough of Sutton said: "The council is committed to supporting residents experiencing or threatened with homelessness and understands that this is an extremely difficult and distressing time."
The statement continued: "The council aims to provide suitable accommodation that takes into account an individual's needs and vulnerabilities, while balancing this with the availability of accommodation. Based on Ms R's assessment, appropriate accommodation was provided and remains available to her. The council's priority remains to continue to engage with Ms R to support her and identify and source alternative accommodation as quickly as possible."
Ms R may now have to wait until at least next week to find out whether suitable accommodation can be arranged. The council has said its next contact will be a telephone consultation on 24 February.
"I have no knowledge of how this all works," she reflected on another potential week on the streets. "It's like they feel they've seen through me when really the council have a vulnerable 21-year-old woman who needs some help."
