Family of five forced to sleep on porch after being evicted from their home

For the past eight days, a family of five has been sleeping on the porch of a house just a few feet away from the building they once called home.

On July 17, New Montrose resident Matthew Haynes visited SEARCHLIGHT to share his family’s travails since being thrown out of a house they were living in for approximately seven years.{{more}}

The father of three explained that in May, his wife had been in court with the owners of the house, who for some time, had been trying to get his family to move out in order to renovate it.

He stated that on the morning of July 16, police officers and bailiffs arrived at their home and began putting their personal belongings, including furniture, clothes, white goods and their children’s school books out onto the side of the street.

“We were living there because it was my sister’s house. Eventually, she went in problem with the bank,” Haynes wife, Francelia Glynn told SEARCHLIGHT.

“Eventually they sell it behind her back; so after they done sell it, they called her to notify her that it was sold.

“I got a notice in December that it was sold and I got in contact with the gentleman, because I told him I was looking for somewhere before, but because I was not working,… I could not move out.”

After appearing in court in May, Glynn said that she was given 10 days to evacuate the premises, but as the end of that time came closer and she still had not found an apartment to rent, she contacted the owners through a lawyer to ask for more time to find a place to live.

She said the owner agreed to give her more time, but last Thursday, police and bailiffs turned up to throw them out.

“…Thursday now, my husband came and told me police and bailiffs up by the house and they are throwing everything out of the house. I asked my boss for some time to go and see what’s happening. When I go up there, they had done throw out almost everything out of the house. They just dump what they have to dump by the side of the road and rain coming, so they get wet.

Glynn and her children are now sleeping on the porch of a vacant house next door.

“I still have my stuff in the road up there, I haven’t got anywhere else.”

On Tuesday, SEARCHLIGHT visited the family’s makeshift home at New Montrose. A couch sat on one corner of the L-shaped porch and was surrounded by some personal effects belonging to the family.

Despite his many efforts, Haynes said that he was not able to find anywhere for his family to go since they were thrown out of the house.

“They not even ready for it yet,” he said, gesturing to the house that they were thrown out of.

“I don’t care about me. I’m a man. It’s really just my children.”

Haynes indicated that since they started staying in the porch, his wife and children have to get up in the early hours of the morning to bathe at a pipe on the property. While he is able to cook for his family at a neighbour’s house, Haynes noted that it is very dangerous for his children to be sleeping outside at night and would very much like to find a proper living area for them.

He indicated that his family is open to and will be grateful for any help that they can receive from the public.(BK)