Havering Council left homeless families in A127 Travelodge

Women placed at a Travelodge on the A127 in East Horndon, Brentwood, said the nearest food shop was almost an hour’s walk away, up a narrow, unlit path. 

Already struggling on low incomes, they were left with no way of doing their own laundry, cooking their own meals or getting their children to appointments. 

Havering Council accepted that it had put the families in “a horrible position”, but blamed “the London-wide housing crisis”. 

Lisa 

Lisa – not her real name – has lived around Harold Hill all her life. 

She and her young daughter lived with another family for the past two years, until the house became too crowded and they had to leave. 

After spending a night on the streets, Havering put them in a Romford Travelodge, where they stayed in three different rooms in two weeks. 

Lisa says that once a week she has to pack up 27 bags' worth of belongings, before being told whether she can stay in her current accommodation or must move (Image: Supplied)

Lisa said she met several other families housed at the hotel, all living with constant uncertainty. 

Families were only booked in for one week at a time, then told on check-out day where they would spend the next week. 

“You have to pack all your things up and wait for an email to say whether you’re staying or going,” she said. 

“Middle of a motorway” 

One Wednesday, Lisa was told she and her daughter were being moved to another Travelodge in East Horndon. 

Several other families received the same news, but could not get there. 

“It’s in the middle of a motorway,” she said. 

Fortunately, Lisa’s father was able to give her a lift.  

But he was so disgusted by the sight of families sat helpless in the Travelodge reception, with no way of getting to their next hotel, that he took a photo. 

Families stranded at a Romford Travelodge, with no way of getting to their next accommodation (Image: Supplied)

When Lisa arrived at the new hotel, the only place to eat was a pub. At around £15 a meal, she said, that was unaffordable.

The nearest food shop was “a 50-minute walk down a country lane”, she said - and the room had no fridge, so she had to make the trip with her daughter every two days.

She tried to keep her milk cool by immersing it in water in the bathroom sink. 

Doing laundry has also proved difficult. 

After a trip to a launderette cost her £30, she resorted to hand-washing clothes in the bath. 

After a trip to a launderette cost her £30, Lisa began hand-washing clothes in the hotel bath and drying them wherever she could (Image: Supplied)

“Nightmare” 

Another single mother, Janine – not her real name – was deemed eligible for emergency housing after fleeing an abusive relationship. 

She has a full-time job but is on leave after the birth of her son, living on statutory maternity pay of £156.66 per week. 

Unable to cook in her room, she mainly ate pot noodles and sandwiches. 

“It’s just been a nightmare,” she said. “I’m thankful to have a roof over my head but it’s not ideal, the situation they’ve put us in.” 

Janine was eventually placed in the same Romford Travelodge as Lisa, before she too was moved to the A127. There, she met other families being put up by Havering Council.

Calls and emails to the council consistently go unanswered, she said, and she had to wait five or six weeks before she even spoke to her case worker. 

“I’ve never had a council property, never claimed benefits. This is the first time I’ve ever needed help and I’m struggling to receive it or even get acknowledged,” she said. 

“Even if you are on benefits, you shouldn’t be treated like this." 

Janine and her baby's belongings, which she must carry from hotel to hotel until Havering Council can find her a home (Image: Supplied)

The council  

Cllr Paul McGeary, Havering’s cabinet member for housing, said a London-wide housing shortage was “creating an ever-increasing demand in emergency accommodation”. 

Using hotels “puts further pressure on our existing budget crisis”, he said - “but we have a duty of care to look after our vulnerable residents which we take very seriously.” 

Both women interviewed by the Recorder have since been moved to other hotels.

The council tries to find “the most suitable hotels”, he continued, “but with all local authorities in similar situations, we are all competing for limited hotel space that operate weekly booking systems and very little choice.” 

He added that case workers are “very busy” but always get back to families as quickly as they can. 

“We understand this is a horrible position for any family to be in,” he said, adding that the council was working to “find suitable housing solutions”. 

Travelodge was approached for comment.