Homeless Mum with Baby Pleads with Landlord Not to Send Them to a Hotel After Being Evicted from Temporary Home

A young family has spent over seven hours camped outside a temporary flat in Hackney, pleading for a safe place to live after being asked to return to a home they claim is still uninhabitable. Fayza Bouyhia and her husband Hamid Ouchaou sat with their belongings bundled in bags outside the Hoxton flat where they had been temporarily housed, while their eight-month-old baby cried in the heat.

The couple told MyLondon they fear for their children’s health if they return to their original flat in Haggerston, which they say is plagued by mould, rat infestations, and disrepair. “I’m left with luggage outside the hotel like I’m homeless, which is the worst feeling,” said Fayza. “We work hard to afford our kids a good life. So I hope the government does something to stop landlords from treating tenants this badly.”

The family was initially told by their housing association, Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH), to vacate their Haggerston flat three months ago due to health and safety concerns. Since then, they have moved between a hotel—with no cooking facilities during Ramadan—and the Hoxton property.

Now, MTVH has asked the family to return to their original flat or accept a new temporary hotel stay, but the parents are refusing without assurance that the home is safe. Fayza, who is still breastfeeding, is especially concerned for the health of her children, including her five-year-old daughter, who has been repeatedly hospitalised with asthma—an illness the family believes was worsened by the mould and damp in their former home.

“I’ve heard stories of children dead because of mould. I’m not going to risk my kids’ life,” she said. “I’m calling for help to be relocated to a safe place with my kids.” According to the family, the flat’s problems began in 2020 with mould in the bathroom that caused tiles to fall off. Though MTVH reportedly addressed that issue two years later, further problems followed, including leaks and a rat nest.

Upon revisiting the flat this week, they found only partial improvements. While some mould had been removed, visible patches remained. There was no electricity in their daughter’s former bedroom, the kitchen lights were not working, and the oven and hob were still broken. Photos also showed holes in the kitchen ceiling and signs of water damage in a bedroom.

As the family stood in the doorway, their daughter Lara entered and said, “I don’t like the smell in here.” With their children’s health at stake and no permanent solution in sight, the family continues to wait—hoping for safe, stable housing and for someone to listen.

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(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga)