‘Desperate’ Cork mum of five faces eviction on Christmas Eve
“I have nowhere to go,” she told The Opinion Line on Cork’s 96FM yesterday. “We’ve been told that we face life in a homeless centre, with my husband in another shelter.”
Speaking afterwards, the 28-year-old, who has been renting a house in Gurranabraher on Cork’s northside, said she doesn’t know what the future holds.
“I just don’t know what to do — we’re in a desperate situation. The kids are asking why haven’t we put the Christmas tree. And we can’t sort presents because we don’t know where we’ll be next week.
“To be honest, they’re too young to understand. But I don’t know what I’m facing and we’ve been told all the homeless centres are full.”
Stephanie and her husband Michael have been renting the house for four-and-a-half years. They had issues with the condition of the property, and requested the services of a buildings inspector in a bid to compel the landlord to address them.
The landlord was given a deadline to carry out the repairs, but failed to meet the deadline. Stephanie said the landlord claimed he didn’t have the funds to carry out the required works.
She then took her case to the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) but was later informed the landlord intended to sell the property.
She was served with a valid notice of termination and received the required notice, which expires on December 24.
She said they are in receipt of rent allowance and have been searching for for alternative accommodation for almost three months.
Despite pleading with the letting agency to give her and her family more time, she said last night it looks as it the landlord will enforce the Christmas Eve deadline.
Local Sinn Féin Cllr Tom Gould, who has been working to help the family for several weeks, intervened with the letting agency last night in a bid to buy the family more time in the home.
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