A MUM living in a cramped single room with her baby, teenage daughter and elderly mother has revealed she is struggling to get by.
Oana Stafie cares for her family in the squalid temporary accommodation in Birmingham as she waits patiently to be placed in a council home.
As she enters her fourth year on the Birmingham City Council waiting list, Oana struggles daily in the cramped space – where a double and two-single bed are clustered together.
The Romanian native, 40, is packed in the single room with her 18-year-old daughter – who struggles with autism – and one-year-old baby.
Oana also works hard to support her ailing mother who has to struggle up a flight of stairs when she returns home.
The mum, who immigrated to the UK from Romania seven years ago, spelled out the daily struggles she faces.
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She said: "It's very challenging, it's tough mentally. I can't explain.
"When you have a small child it needs your attention, it's crying. We don't have space.
"We are forced to stay sometimes with friends so we can have somewhere to do laundry and for a small baby to move around.
She continued: "I don't have space to do laundry. We live on the second floor, there's no lift.
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"My mum is almost crawling – she's 71 years old. She has a heart condition, and blood pressure… Every time she comes up she's breathless. She has been admitted to hospital a few times."
It is unknown when Oana and her family will be rehomed, as she has rallied for the council to take action for some time now.
She continued: "We started bidding (for properties) a long time ago.
"We had a notice from our last landlord to move and we have been living here since last June," she added.
Birmingham City Council has a waiting list of more than 20,000 – meaning some people will face long waits before a property is allocated, an investigation by Birmingham live found.
A spokesman said: "We are sorry to hear about how long this tenant has been waiting for a larger property and the impact that it has had on their family.
"Due to the national housing crisis and an acute shortage of properties in the city, unfortunately there is a very long waiting list for housing in Birmingham.
"The council recently reviewed its allocation policy to ensure that it is prioritising the most urgent cases.
"We have asked the tenant's housing officer to again look at their case and work with them to find the most suitable accommodation to meet their needs including renting in the private sector which may be the quickest way of getting them a larger property."
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