04 | BIGISSUE.COM FROM 24 AUGUST 2020Toward the end of last week there was growing confusion over government policy on both
rough sleeping and evictions. The head of the government’s Rough Sleeping Taskforce
Dame Louise Casey stood down, while it was unclear if the evictions ban in England would
be extended beyond its August 23 cut-off. The truth is that this doesn’t change the reality
for people at the sharp end. Here, two renters whose situations were previously stable
describe facing homelessness because of Covid. Interviews: Liam Geraghty‘Vulnerable
children must
not be forgotten’Suzanne Lavigne’s* landlord warned her in June that
she would face eviction from her West London fl at.
Shielding since February, the single mum, 45, says
that the lifting of the eviction ban could be a matter of
life and death for her 15-year-old daughter, who has
complex medical needs
*name changedI have been in this small one-bedroom �lat for 15 years since
my daughter was born. She hasn’t known any other place.
The prospect for her of changing and losing that network of
neighbours that we rely on – how can we replicate that at
the moment?
I am totally panicking about the eviction ban. My landlord
sent me a message in June to say that when the ban is li�ted he
would terminate our contract and I should look for alternative
arrangements. We’ve had a complex relationship in the past but
in lockdown I am physically unable to go and visit other places.
Researching my rights and looking a�ter my daughter has le�t me
sleep-deprived. I have not slept properly since June knowing that
I am completely on my own.
My priority is my daughter and everything I do is centred
around her. She has had very complex medical issues for the last
11 years to the point where I have had to give up my career as an
actress and be her full-time carer since 2009. I’m a single mum
and I don’t have any family support nearby. I’m French – I’ve been
living in the UK for 25 years, paying taxes and worked up to four
jobs in the past because that’s what you have to do as an actor.
We have spent a lot of time in hospital and my daughter’s
needs have escalated in the last few years. It means that we are
shielding like crazy and have been doing so since February before
the government even recommended it.
I cannot run the risk of bringing the virus back to my daughter
so the ban being li�ted would mean exposing her health to
Covid-19. She knows exactly what it means if she catches the
virus – it would have devastating consequences for her.
We have to stay in the borough so my daughter’s education is
not disturbed. We depend on the local school and it took me two
years to get her educational healthcare plan in place and another
two years for it to be implemented. So it would be four years up
in smoke if we are moved on now. That is despairing. She is also
reliant on her local hospitals, including Great Ormond Street.There is no way to smooth the transition and for a sick child
to have to contemplate the prospect of losing the house where
she lives – the only stable thing she has in her life – is atrocious. I
cannot share my stress with her and I am at a loss.
In the context of a pandemic where everybody is already
freaking out, I have an additional layer of stress when I need to
be taken care of. I have no respite. I am trying not to complain – I
know I could be in a country where there is no structure at all.
I have applied twice to be on the social housing waiting list
and twice I have been turned down with no explanation. I know
it would take 10 years for me to get anywhere but I’m not even
allowed to join the list.
I love England, I have a great network of friends, I love my
work here when I can work. England has been amazing but
the complexity of the situation has me paralysed with fear. I
feel like with this pandemic everything is being taken away.
It’s never-ending and is having a rippling e�fect everywhere.
I just want vulnerable children to not be forgotten. According
to the Children’s Commissioner For England, there are over two
million children in England living in families with substantial
complex needs. How can a country a�ford to keep these children
invisible when they are its future? I want to know that if I was to
be evicted that I would be taken care of so I can tell my daughter:
“Look, darling, we’re going to have to move out but it has all been
thought about.”04 | BIGISSUE.COM
Towardtheendoflastweektherewasgrowingconfusionovergovernmentpolicyonboth
roughsleepingandevictions.Theheadofthegovernment’sRoughSleepingTaskforce
DameLouiseCaseystooddown,whileitwasunclearif theevictionsbaninEnglandwould
beextendedbeyonditsAugust 23 cut-off.Thetruthisthatthisdoesn’tchangethereality
forpeopleatthesharpend.Here,tworenterswhosesituationswerepreviously stable
describe facing homelessness because of Covid. Interviews: Liam Geraghty‘Vulnerablechildren mustnot be forgotten’SuzanneLavigne’s*landlordwarnedherinJunethat
shewouldfaceevictionfromherWestLondonflat.
ShieldingsinceFebruary,thesinglemum,45,says
thattheliftingoftheevictionbancouldbea matterof
lifeanddeathforher15-year-old daughter, who has
complexmedicalneeds
*name changedIhavebeeninthissmallone-bedroom�latfor 15 yearssince
mydaughterwasborn.Shehasn’tknownanyotherplace.
Theprospectforherofchangingandlosingthatnetworkof
neighboursthatwerelyon–howcanwereplicatethatat
themoment?
I amtotallypanickingabouttheevictionban.Mylandlord
sentmeamessageinJunetosaythatwhenthebanisli�tedhe
wouldterminateourcontractandI shouldlookforalternative
arrangements.We’vehada complexrelationshipinthepastbut
inlockdownI amphysicallyunabletogoandvisitotherplaces.
Researchingmyrightsandlookinga�termydaughterhasle�tme
sleep-deprived.I havenotsleptproperlysinceJuneknowingthat
I amcompletelyonmyown.
MypriorityismydaughterandeverythingI doiscentred
aroundher.Shehashadverycomplexmedicalissuesforthelast
11 yearstothepointwhereI havehadtogiveupmycareerasan
actressandbeherfull-timecarersince2009.I’ma singlemum
andI don’thaveanyfamilysupportnearby.I’mFrench–I’vebeen
livingintheUKfor 25 years,payingtaxesandworkeduptofour
jobsinthepastbecausethat’swhatyouhavetodoasanactor.
Wehavespenta lotoftimeinhospitalandmydaughter’s
needshaveescalatedinthelastfewyears.Itmeansthatweare
shieldinglikecrazyandhavebeendoingsosinceFebruarybefore
thegovernmentevenrecommendedit.
I cannotruntheriskofbringingthevirusbacktomydaughter
sothebanbeingli�tedwouldmeanexposingherhealthto
Covid-19.Sheknowsexactlywhatitmeansifshecatchesthe
virus–itwouldhavedevastatingconsequencesforher.
Wehavetostayintheboroughsomydaughter’seducationis
notdisturbed.Wedependonthelocalschoolandittookmetwo
yearstogethereducationalhealthcareplaninplaceandanother
twoyearsforittobeimplemented.Soitwouldbefouryearsup
insmokeifwearemovedonnow.Thatisdespairing.Sheisalso
reliant on her local hospitals, including Great Ormond Street.Thereisnowaytosmooththetransitionandfora sickchild
tohavetocontemplatetheprospectoflosingthehousewhere
shelives–theonlystablethingshehasinherlife–isatrocious.I
cannotsharemystresswithherandI amata loss.
Inthecontextofa pandemicwhereeverybodyisalready
freakingout,I haveanadditionallayerofstresswhenI needto
betakencareof.I havenorespite.I amtryingnottocomplain–I
knowI couldbeina countrywherethereisnostructureatall.
I haveappliedtwicetobeonthesocialhousingwaitinglist
andtwiceI havebeenturneddownwithnoexplanation.I know
itwouldtake 10 yearsformetogetanywherebutI’mnoteven
allowedtojointhelist.
I loveEngland,I havea greatnetworkoffriends,I lovemy
workherewhenI canwork.Englandhasbeenamazingbut
thecomplexityofthesituationhasmeparalysedwithfear.I
feellikewiththispandemiceverythingisbeingtakenaway.
It’snever-endingandishavingaripplinge�fecteverywhere.
I justwantvulnerablechildrentonotbeforgotten.According
totheChildren’sCommissionerForEngland,thereareovertwo
millionchildreninEnglandlivinginfamilieswithsubstantial
complexneeds.Howcanacountrya�fordtokeepthesechildren
invisiblewhentheyareitsfuture?I wanttoknowthatifI wasto
beevictedthatI wouldbetakencareofsoI cantellmydaughter:
“Look,darling,we’re going to have to move out but it has all been
thought about.”