Offaly family facing homelessness after being evicted from Council house after two days
A FAMILY living on Eden Road in Birr are facing homelessness.
The family of two parents and an 18 year old daughter are very worried that their landlady will evict them in the near future, possibly this week, leaving them with nowhere to live.
Elizabeth Doyle told The Midland Tribune that the issue is impacting badly on their mental health and the future feels frightening.
Elizabeth said she has been living on Eden Road for 17 and a half years but this may now come to an end.
She said her family was on the Council housing waiting list for a staggering 24 years before finally getting a house on Friday July 14. They were given the key to their new home on Tuesday July 18 but a Council official took it back from them on Thursday July 20.
“We had been thrilled when we got the key to the Council house,” she said, “and were excited to be starting this new beginning in our lives. But suddenly, after only a couple of days they gave us notice to have our stuff out in one day.”
They had no choice but to move back to their HAP tenancy just down the road, which was the same place they had been living in before getting the Council house. “I was so embarrassed having to wheelbarrow back my stuff from my so called new home back to my old rented house. I felt so ashamed as my neighbours looked at me going through this.
“My husband was ashamed and embarrassed. He too felt terrible about having to make this move back to our old place.”
Elizabeth said the Council evicted them because they removed an indoor wall between the kitchen and sitting room without permission.
“We didn't think it would cause such a reaction,” she said. “We were only trying to make our home more attractive and comfortable to live in. I think the Council's rules are too strict in this instance. What they are doing is very wrong. I've been living on this street for the last 17 and a half years, and during all of that time I have never given any hassle to anyone on this street. I was a good tenant in the HAP property. All our neighbours will tell you that what I am saying is true.”
She said two Council officials entered the Council house without knocking and told them they were being evicted.
“They should have knocked and waited for us to answer,” said Elizabeth. “Instead, they just used their key and walked straight in. It felt terrible.”
She added that her husband had a double bypass operation two and a half years ago and “suffers from deep depression.”
Elizabeth says she suspects they would have been treated better if they weren't travellers.
Now their HAP landlady has told them she may be evicting them as well. If this happens, then they will have nowhere to live.