A tenant of a town hall who mourns the death of his father and brother is about to lose his house for life.
Darren Evans fears his mental health will collapse if he is forced to leave his home in Caerau, Cardiff.
Until recently, the 51-year-old shared the three-bedroom townhouse in Heol-Yr-Odyn with his brother and father.
Darren’s brother died suddenly in July 2021, at the age of 53. In November he lost his 77-year-old father.
Shortly after his father’s death, Cardiff Council told Darren that the house was too large for his needs and that he would be rehoused in a one-bedroom property.
Darren’s family has lived in the house for over 50 years Credit: Media Wales
Darren’s learning difficulties make him unable to read or write. He is the only tenant of the house since he lost his father and brother, but relatives have been taking turns staying with him to make sure he has the support he needs.
Her family fears that this support will no longer be possible if she moves into a one-bedroom house.
Explaining how the two deaths in such a short period of time have left him paralyzed by anxiety and depression, Darren said, “I just feel suicidal and depressed all the time. I won’t be able to continue if I have to move. “
The Welsh government passed a law in 2016 that will potentially allow for two rental estates, but the change will not take effect until December.
Cardiff Council has said that even if the law was already in place, it could still apply for an eviction in cases where a house is too large for the needs of a tenant.
Amy Lesauteur, David’s niece, said: “It was in early January this year that Darren received a letter from the town hall. They have been very bad with us. The property manager came out and went say, “Don’t stay home. , it’s as simple as that. ‘
“She initially said they would give her a two-bedroom house by car. Then we got a phone call from her last week telling us there was ‘good news.’
“They offered him a one-bedroom apartment on one of Ely’s worst estates, Spinney Close. He has a big drug problem. They told him, ‘You have to see him on Monday and if you don’t, you won’t they will offer no property “.
“So he went there and was waiting outside the front door for an hour and a half, but no one came. Since then we have not heard from the housing manager, there has been no explanation.”
The council believes there has been a misunderstanding about the appointment. His spokesman said the property in question is unprepared and therefore a view would not have been offered yet.
Darren said his mental health has suffered after the deaths of his father and brother Credit: Media Wales
Amy, who has organized a petition with 158 signatures against the eviction, continued: “We have not been given a date for when to leave, nor guidance on the matter.
“The lady from the local community center said the council has the discretion to let Darren stay home because of his mental health, but the housing administrator has said no. It’s very stressful not to know what will happen.
“Darren’s neighbors have lived here as long as he has. They’re like family, they cook for him and they take care of him. He needs that kind of support. They’ve written letters to town hall saying how much of their lives he is. “
The Welsh government’s 2016 law was delayed during the pandemic and then pushed back again until this December.
A council spokesman said: “The law of succession of leases is clear and currently only allows for a succession to be made, which has already occurred in this case.
“There is a very high demand for family accommodation across the city and as it has been assessed that Mr Evans needs a one bedroom property, the three bedroom house where he is currently located is too large for your needs.
“An offer has been made for a one-bedroom property in Ely, an area close to Mr Evans’ support network, but as the property is currently being worked on, it cannot be seen until August We will consider any additional evidence that Mr. Evans would like to present to support the need for larger accommodation.
“The rules on succession will change under the Housing Rental Act, which is due to be implemented in December, and Mr Evans would have inheritance rights.
“However, due to the considerable demand for larger family homes, the changes would still allow the council to work with tenants living in properties that are too large for their needs to move to adequate and more affordable housing. small. This will apply to cases from December 2022 “.
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