Council To Evict Man From Family Home In Cardiff

A council house tenant mourning the demise of his father and brother is on the verge of losing his lifelong home.

Darren Evans worries his mental health will crumble if he’s forced to leave the house in Caerau, Cardiff.

Until recently, the 51-year-old shared the semi-detached three-bedroom property in Heol-Yr-Odyn with his brother and father.

Darren’s brother died unexpectedly in July 2021, at the age of 53. In November he lost his 77-year-old father.

Soon after the death of his father, Cardiff Council told Darren the house was too large for his needs and that he would be rehoused in a one-bedroom property.

Darren’s learning difficulties mean he’s unable to read or write. He’s been the sole occupant of the home since losing his father and brother, but family members have been taking turns to stay with him to make sure he has the support he needs.

His family fear such support would no longer be possible if he’s moved to a one-bedroom abode.

Darren said that having to cope with two deaths in such a brief space of time has left him incapacitated by anxiety and depression and that he just feels suicidal and depressed all the time and he wouldn’t be able to carry on if he has to move.

The Welsh Government passed a law in 2016 which would potentially allow two successions in tenancy, but the change isn’t coming into force until December.

Cardiff Council said that even if the law was already in place, it would still be able to apply for eviction in cases where a home is too large for a tenant’s needs.

Amy Lesauteur, David’s niece, said that it was at the start of January that Darren got a letter from the council and that they had been so bad with them, and that the housing manager came out and said that he wasn’t keeping the house and that it was as simple as that.

She said that the housing officer said he would be given a two-bedroom house with a drive, but then they had a phone call from the housing officer saying there was good news, and he was offered a one-bedroom flat in one of the worst estates in Ely, Spinney Close.

It has a big drug problem and he was told that he had to view it on Monday and if he didn’t, they weren’t going to offer him any property.

She said that he went there and he was waiting outside the front door for an hour and a half, but no one turned up, and that they haven’t heard from the housing manager since and there’s been no explanation.

The council said they believe there was a misunderstanding over the appointment and its representative said that the property concerned wasn’t ready and so viewing wouldn’t have yet been offered.

Amy, who has organised a petition with 158 signatures against the eviction, continued: “We’ve been given no date for when he has to leave, no guidance on that.

She said the lady in the local community corner said that the council has the discretion to let Darren keep the house because of his mental health, but the housing manager said no and it was extremely stressful not knowing what’s going to happen.

Of course, a council house doesn’t belong to a tenant, but the council does have a responsibility to deliver suitable accommodation, but all that this man will be offered is a one-bedroom flat, but unfortunately, the council has no empathy when it comes to this kind of thing, but this man has lived in his family home for an extremely long time, he has mental health problems and is going to find it extremely difficult to adjust and just leave all those memories behind.

It’s his family home and it looks like the council wants to make him homeless. It’s a disgrace and where’s the compassion?

It might not be his home and the council is renting it to him, but his family have likely paid three times its value in rent and they must have been good tenants and the council should be showing some compassion and at least try to find him somewhere nearby so that his family can support him because this upheaval is not good for him.

This is going to impact this man’s mental health terribly and the council are doing this to him, but if he was a boat person they would have no problem housing them, but if you were born in the United Kingdom you deserve nothing, and this is why there’s a housing crisis.

This is one person that needs help, but if you don’t talk the right language you’re out on your ear. It wouldn’t hurt them to let him stay there until they find him a one-bedroom property near to his family, but no, they just can’t wait to get a family of immigrants in there instead.