Election candidate takes to Twitter to find home for evicted family

A local election candidate took to Twitter to secure accommodation for a lone mother and her young son after they were evicted from their home.

Louise Bayliss, who stood as a People Before Profit candidate in west Dublin at the last local elections, said Fingal County Council and Dublin’s Central Placement Service had failed to provide the woman with emergency accommodation, despite advance notification that the family was likely to be left homeless.

The woman in the case said she had been told by the local authority that there were 10 families ahead of her on a waiting list for emergency housing.

Urg, Request. Mother w/5yr son evicted 2day. No emerg. accom. available. Any hotel/hostel able to offer free room for tonight? Please rt.

— Louise Bayliss (@Louiseinflight) July 7, 2014

Last night, she was again facing the prospect of no emergency accommodation being available.

David Hall of the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation (IMHO) confirmed that he responded to tweets about the woman’s predicament and paid for her and her son to stay in a B&B on Monday night.

Big shout out @davidhall75 aka Knightinshiningarmour. He's paid for room for Mother & son 4 2night. Hopefully something else 4 tomorrow!

— Louise Bayliss (@Louiseinflight) July 7, 2014

He said: “It is a disgraceful failure of the housing system where a woman and a child cannot be provided with any temporary accommodation.”

The woman, who is receiving the One Parent Family Payment and rent allowance, said she was in the second year of a lease, during which time she had been late paying the rent just twice — once by three days and the second time by five days.

She said she contacted the landlord’s wife to explain her circumstances, but was then given the notice to quit, with a 56-day notice period.

Homeless service told her 2 call back at 10.30pm and they'll see if anything is free. Any charities able 2 help 5yr old boy no where 2 sleep

— Louise Bayliss (@Louiseinflight) July 7, 2014

She said she went to Fingal County Council to outline her situation, but said no action was taken. The woman said she lost her deposit and that a search for alternative private rented accommodation had proved fruitless.

“I was six weeks looking in the area. I went to a few property agents, and there was nothing accepting rent allowance,” she said.

The woman said her son has been attending a school in the area, making a move to a different area more difficult, given that she has no car or family.

She said that she hoped to be provided with some emergency accommodation soon, adding: “Beggars can’t be choosers and at the minute I am a beggar.”

Ms Bayliss said it was “disgusting” that no emergency accommodation was available for the woman and her son. Ms Bayliss has made representations on her behalf to Fingal County Council, and claimed the woman contacted the Central Placement Service on Monday afternoon, when she was told to try again at 10.30pm that night on the off chance something might have become available.

To all who helped w/ Hayley & son today, thks. Settled in B&B thks to @davidhall. Ppl willing 2 help 2moro, hopefully we can get it sorted!

— Louise Bayliss (@Louiseinflight) July 7, 2014

Also responding to tweets about the case, Laois-based solicitor Kevin Higgins said he had contacted a number of people within the local authority yesterday and that he had also been told that there were a number of families on the waiting list for emergency accommodation.