Bereaved mother who lost husband months before eviction notice says the 'badness' is following her

A bereaved mother is one of at least ten tenants who have been evicted on a single street in Cheshire. Samantha Donlon moved into the close with her son, a year after her fiancé died. She works full time and is struggling to find somewhere affordable.

Samantha said: "It's just meant that we had somewhere safe... somewhere we were close to Jacob's nursery because I was contemplating how much change he could go through at such a young age."

Her son is three years old, and his nursery is nearby but if they have to move, it makes things more difficult.

"It's just meant that we had somewhere safe... somewhere we were close to Jacob's nursery because I was contemplating how much change he could go through at such a young age," she continued.

"I was worried that it was just going to be too much for him and I wanted to keep his routine as much as possible."

At least 10 homes on Lake House Close in Weaverham, Cheshire, were handed eviction notices, after the owners of the properties found they were "not being used for its intended purpose".

The location of Samantha's home means that it's nearby shops, and other local amenities which makes things easier for her because she's on her own.

"We knew the area, it was important we stayed in an area that he was recognising as he was growing up and we was close to other people we knew in the area... where they've checked up on us."

Another concern of having to move home for Samantha, alongside the others, is the cost of living.

"It's really hard. Obviously the cost of living crisis is hard hitting anyway and the rent has just gone through the roof since the interest rates have gone up, and it's just priced us completely out - really struggling to find anywhere," she added.

"I was already getting through each day on survival mode as it was, and then adding this into the mix of working, trying to keep the house for Jacob and I.

"And being the doer of everything basically... the past 12 months has been as hard as it... I just feel like this badness is following me, and maybe it's me."

Doreen Barker-Lamb has lived on Lake House Close home for more than a decade, with her daughter living next door and other family nearby.

She's one of ten who are now being evicted, with a 'no-fault' eviction which means she needs to leave the property within two months.

"It was like a bomb. It was as if there was nothing else there at all, only me sat there and it just wouldn't go in. I thought how can I get out, where can I go. It's just heart-stopping, it really is," said Doreen.

"I don't want to eat for a start, I go to bed but I don't sleep.

"I was up yesterday morning at 4 o'clock. I just don't know what to do because if I think I will do something [to the house], what's the use, they're going to tip me out."

Doreen is visually-impaired in one of her eyes after getting a cancer removed from it.

"I can see, but the eye doesn't move because I had a cancer removed from it. But I can't walk very well," she added.

"I can toddle round to the shops and that's another thing, if I go somewhere else I'm not going to get anything like this near the doctors, near the shops that I can get to. I'm going to be housebound.

"I could get round here even if I went blind."

Doreen's daughter, Alison, has also been served with an eviction notice.

She's trying to support her mum at the same time as potentially being made homeless herself.

"I'm numb at the moment to be honest, it's not until people started taking an interest that it's started to feel real," she said.

"I feel sick, I mean I'm not sleeping, I'm not really eating. And when I do, I feel sick."

Cedar Care Group are the not for profit organisation that provide this housing.

They say that any profit made goes back into the homes and services.

"Nobody cares, they don't care it's not happening to them," said Alison.

"I don't think they're treating us as human beings, it's not right what they're doing."

Cedar Care Group responded by saying: "As a CIC (Community Interest Company) it is Cedar Care Group's intention, as a social housing provider, to do good and to help those in need as identified by the local authority as requiring additional support.

"This includes issues such as domestic violence, physical or mental health challenges, or threat of homelessness.

"The properties are not full life homes. They are transitional; that is they must only be occupied by vulnerable individuals being helped in their journey back to social normality.

"The current and recent occupants of Lake House Close, who are actually classified as private tenants, do not and have not fallen into those local authority recognised social categories, and in offering them the properties, previous landlords were in breach of lease conditions.

"They should never have been living there. This is a matter of deep regret.

"Furthermore, in taking on the properties on Lake House Close, Weaverham, on March 6, 2023, it became apparent to Cedar Car Group CIC that those properties had been subject to a systemic lack of maintenance by previous landlords, prior to Cedar Care Group CIC's leases acquisition, making many of them unacceptable for habitation.

"We will be refurbishing and updating these properties, and if current residents are deemed to require support by the Local Authority, then they will be able to move back in and we will support them with their housing needs.

"The rents, which are local authority regulated, will not be increased following refurbishment.

"Part of our reason for being is to help transitional occupants to move on and up, whether it be facilitating rent or costs support, or actually finding their next home.

"We cannot and will not make people homeless and have been working with partners to ensure residents' future safeguarding.

"As such, we are and have been in conversation with the residents and are encouraging the local authority to work with us to resolve these issues as a matter of urgency."