Kelly Allen and daughter Ocean outside Cour du Parc flats yesterday. (Picture by Sarah George, 0606101)
DRUG users are making life unbearable for a family in the island’s only tower block, Cour du Parc. Kelly Allen, 25, who lives there with her partner and their two children, has found syringes and broken glass in the hallways and stairwells.
She told police and Housing about it, but the family has not been moved, even though the department has admitted they are in unsuitable accommodation. A man who blames Miss Allen and partner Mark Warren for a child being taken into care has threatened her.
She contacted the police about his behaviour and Housing was informed. She has had problems with another tenant as well.
‘There’s a person who lives here that I don’t get on with as she broke my ribs 10 years ago. I told Housing this, but they just said to keep out of her way. But I’m too scared to go out by myself. I’m suffering with post-natal depression through it all.’
Housing could not comment on specific cases, but it had been notified of the issues.
‘We are aware of the problems being caused by a minority of our tenants at Cour du Parc and are working closely with the police to resolve them.’
Miss Allen moved into the flats in La Charroterie, St Peter Port, 18 months ago to join Mr Warren, who has lived there for five years, along with daughter Ocean, eight months, and stepdaughter Chelsea, 11.
The children are sharing a room, which was why the family asked Housing to be moved.
‘Housing agreed that they couldn’t share, but then turned us down. We have appealed and are waiting for a response. Chelsea should be having her friends to sleep and it’s not fair that an 11-year-old has to share with an eight-month-old. She has no privacy.’
A Housing spokesman said: ‘The department acknowledges that these flats are not totally suitable for young children, but has to make the best use of the resources available to it until more family houses are freed up when the new units of smaller accommodation being built by the Guernsey Housing Association come on line.’
The block was built for parents with children over 14, but young families have been moved there.
There is no outside area for the children to play and the balconies are not safe for them to be on unaccompanied.
That is a particular concern of Miss Allen as she is worried that if her back is turned for a few seconds, one of her children could climb up onto a chair and topple over.
‘We can’t afford to go private. We just want a safe environment for our kids, somewhere secure for them.’
Housing said: ‘All the windows at these flats are fitted with locks to ensure the safety of residents and all allocations to these flats are made in accordance with the department’s policy.’
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5 Article Comments
whether the flats are suitable for young children or not, surely the housing department and the police should be more interested in finding the drug users and dealing with them, than just moving this family away? Treat the cause NOT the symptoms
Complaining about accomodation that has already been subsidised by the rest of us ! Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth, I don’t know where these people get thier nerve.
Maybe if they work a bit harder they can rent a place without looking for a subsidised handout.
That’s a harsh comment Steve! Most of the tenants in States accommodation are the low earners who cannot afford private rents. Housing have done a sterling job in recent years by encouraging the higher earners to rent privately. What is a problem is that this young family are having to live in fear with alleged drug abusers living in the same block of flats - the fact that they have neither access to a play area or a garden is another problem. There is nothing in the article to say that they are not working hard. Unless one works in the finance sector the pay is often poor.
I know of people who have returned to this island after serving in the forces and have been refused States Housing but cannot afford to rent privately. One family I know of have been split up and are living with individual parents - this cannot be good for their marriage especially as the children have also been shared out amongst the family. In the UK ex-forces personnel are given priority for Council Accommodation. We are trying to get locals to return to this island but not helping them - yet those employed on licences get given generous allowances to help with housing. Madness!
steve u dont know what it is like to live in these flats me nor my partner works as he is waiting for an op not that its do with u but im scared that our children will fall and not make it. now my daughter is 8 months old and 11years old and i bet u havent got children as u would worried too living here.
i dont understand why people got to be hursh aswell me and my partner and our children did not asked to put here nor ask to have durgs dealer here. steve has u got got children?