A disabled mum and her daughter face sleeping in their car after a South London council kicked them out of a house.

Pauline Roye, 62, and her daughter Nashstacia Gayle, 28, an NHS worker, have been sofa surfing since September 23 when Lewisham Council cancelled their temporary accommodation in Catford. 

Ms Roye had asked the council to move her from the house because of mouldy bedrooms which caused her breathing problems and meant she had to sleep on a mattress in the kitchen.

Lewisham Council subsequently gave her the option of moving into a temporary house in Ilford, East London – an hour away from the borough on public transport. 

But Ms Roye, who is awaiting a knee replacement and can’t walk without assistance, rejected the offer because she would struggle to reach hospital appointments in South London from the house. 

The council disagreed and said that as Ms Roye had refused “a reasonable offer of interim temporary accommodation” it no longer had a responsibility to house her.

Lewisham Council is now reviewing into Ms Roye’s case and is looking to make her a new offer of temporary accomodation.

But until it makes a decision, she and her daughter are left not kowing where they will be sleeping every night. 

Ms Roye, who has lived in Lewisham for over 20 years, said: “I don’t know where I am from one day to the next.

"It’s not a way to live.

"If we don’t find a place tonight then we’re going to have to sleep in the car in Lewisham Shopping Centre car park. 

“They [Lewisham] say I can travel 90 minutes for an appointment at the hospital, but I can’t take a bus or train.

"I have to take patient transport.

"I can’t walk without assistance. I’m just asking for them to look at my health.”

Ms Roye and Nashstacia moved into the temporary house in Catford after their previous landlord evicted them.

Ms Roye fell behind on rent payments during the pandemic when she was forced to close her Jamaican street food stall at Lower Marsh market in Waterloo. 

Over the months that followed her health deteriorated and by the time lockdown restrictions were easing, Ms Roye was unable to work due to inflammatory arthritis in her knee.

Her daughter paid what she could, but she only worked part-time hours at the time and the family fell further into arrears. 

When Lewisham Council said they could move into the temporary house in Catford on September 14, they were thankful.

But their relief soon turned to horror as they discovered the state of the property.

Ms Roye said: “There was mould everywhere. They had painted over it but we couldn’t  breathe in the bedrooms. It was like being in a drain. I caught a cough.

“We ended up having to drag a mattress into the kitchen and sleep there because it was the only place we could breathe.

"The freezer didn’t work and it defrosted, ruining all our food in the fridge. There was a step up to the front door which I couldn’t do without help.” 

Ms Roye turned to the council staff for help and they offered her the flat over an hour away in Ilford, which she explained wasn’t suitable.

But council staff weren’t sympathetic.

In one email exchange, a staff member accused Ms Roye of “bombarding” the council with emails after she complained about the accommodation offered. 

A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: “We have been reviewing Ms Roye’s case and will be looking to make her a new offer of temporary accommodation, in line with our Location Priority Policy.”

“We expect all members of staff to be polite and professional when supporting residents with their housing needs and are investigating the comments made towards Ms Roye.”

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