Meet Paul...
When his arthritis got really bad, Paul had no choice
but to quit his job – but with four children under five
years old, it was a heart breaking decision. With no
money coming in, it wasn’t long before Paul and his
wife Melissa got behind with their rent. Facing eviction,
they decided to move in with Melissa’s dad while they
got back on their feet.
But conditions in Paul’s dad’s house were terrible and
put the family under further strain. Crammed into one
small bedroom, Paul, Melissa, and their baby daughter slept on a double mattress on the floor, while
the two eldest children shared bunk beds beside their brother’s cot.
Melissa and the children all suffered badly from asthma, and with the entire family sleeping in one
poorly ventilated room, their health was rapidly deteriorating. Chloe, their eldest daughter, was often
too ill to go to school, and was falling behind her classmates.
Sick, miserable, and desperate, Melissa approached Shelter. Shelter approached the council on their
behalf and pointed out that Melissa and Paul were slowly but surely paying off their arrears. Shelter
also showed evidence from the family’s doctor that their chronically overcrowded housing was
damaging the family’s health, and preventing Chloe from getting the education she deserved.
The council finally agreed that the family urgently needed help, and several weeks later, Melissa and
Paul were thrilled to move into a three-bedroom flat near Chloe’s school.
With room to move in their new flat, the children’s health is almost back to normal, and Chloe is
proudly showing her off her certificate for good attendance. Paul said: ‘It’s terrible watching your kids
going through that. Chloe brought a friend round to play for the first time the other day. It’s great
seeing her being a normal, happy kid.’