Young mum says life with two babies in one-bedroom flat is ‘overwhelming’

Kieran Molloy, Local Democracy Reporter

A young mother says she is struggling to care for her two babies in a one-bedroom council flat as she waits for a larger home to become available.

Chardanelle Thomas, 20, shares the only bedroom of her first-floor flat in Fairwater, Cardiff, with her nine-month-old and 21-month-old children.

She says the lack of space means one child regularly wakes the other during the night, while getting out of the property involves carrying her children and their prams up and down the stairs.

Ms Thomas, who receives some support from relatives and friends but is often caring for both children alone, described the situation as “overwhelming”.

Cardiff Council said her housing priority had been increased following a review of her circumstances, but demand for family-sized social housing in the city “significantly exceeds” the number of properties available.

Ms Thomas has also raised concerns about mould and damp in the flat. The council said it has arranged an appointment to investigate the issue after five previous attempts to gain access to the property were unsuccessful.

She said: “My nine-month-old still wakes throughout the night, so he’s waking my 21-month-old for half of the night when my 21-month-old is old enough to sleep throughout the night now.

“When he’s awake, all of us are awake because I haven’t got one baby to deal with, I’ve got two. When [one] can hear [the other] crying, the other baby starts crying.”

In addition to the general lack of space, one of the other main reasons why she says the property is unsuitable is because it is on the first floor of her building.

Both of her children still use a pram, meaning she has to carry both prams up and down the stairs on an almost daily basis.

She said: “I’ve got to just take one pram down with two babies in my arms and then I’ve got to take the other pram down with two babies in my arms and put them both in their prams downstairs safely.

“That is a big struggle for me, I’m on my own. I’m not Wonder Woman, I don’t have wings.”

Chardanelle told the LDRS that after the birth of her second child, she struggled with seizures, although she does not anymore.

Despite this, the possibility that she is hit by a seizure while carrying her children on the stairs is still a “big worry” for her.

Other problems the young family face in their flat include mould and damp.

Mould

Chardanelle said there is mould throughout the flat, particularly underneath the wallpaper in the living room and in the kitchen cupboards.

She said that, because of the mould, she has had to throw out some of her and her children’s clothes and bath products.

Another problem the family faces is their shower. Currently, the flat has a disability shower which Chardanelle says is unsuitable for her children as they need baby baths.

She said: “Every time I bathe my children, my shower overflows”

A Cardiff Council spokesperson said: “We recognise that this is a difficult situation for the tenant and we sympathise with the challenges she is facing while caring for two young children.

“The property was considered suitable for the household’s needs when it was allocated in January 2024. Since then, the household’s circumstances have changed and following a recent review of Ms Thomas’s housing application, her housing priority band was increased in recognition of her circumstances.

“We have also recorded recommendations regarding the type of accommodation most suitable for the family’s needs.”

“We appreciate that living arrangements can become more challenging as family circumstances change and we understand the frustrations that can arise while waiting for social housing.

“The length of time applicants wait for an offer depends on the availability of properties that meet their assessed housing needs and become available in their preferred areas.”

The council added that “family-sized social housing” in the city continues to “significantly exceed” the number of properties available and “housing allocations must be made in line with the Council’s allocations policy and assessed housing need”.

Affordable housing

However, the local authority does recognise the need for more affordable housing across the city.

The spokesperson said: “We are aware of concerns raised about the bathroom and have investigated reports of flooding. The shower system relies on a drainage pump which must be activated correctly to allow water to discharge.

“Advice on operating the system has been provided to the tenant on a number of occasions and there is no evidence that the bathroom facilities are defective or unsafe when used as intended.

The council has made an appointment with Chardanelle to investigate mould and damp in the property as the council “remain committed to fully assessing these concerns”.

The council said they tried to access the property to investigate claims of mould and damp on five other occasions, but were not able to gain access.

The local authority said: “We remain committed to working with the tenant, keeping her housing circumstances under review and providing advice and support while her housing application remains active.”

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