NORTH Belfast MLA Carál Ní Chuilín is calling on the Housing Executive to reconsider a decision to evict a family from their New Lodge home.
Arlene Dornan and her two children, Leo (9) and Myla (7), have been informed that they will be evicted from their Sheridan Court home on 20 March, as the family lost their succession of tenancy for the home after Arlene's mother passed away in August.
Speaking to the North Belfast News Arlene explained that the passing of her mother had been traumatic for the whole family. She now faces losing the family home where they have lived for 20 years.
She says the problems arose regarding the house as Arlene's mother Patricia passed away while Arlene had temporarily left the family home because her mother was having mental health struggles and it was becoming increasingly difficult to live there with her two children. Despite being away from home for a few days, Arlene and the family had returned to living in the family home when her mother died.
“We have supplied all the letters and evidence to the Housing Executive that we can give them," explained Arlene. "Last summer I temporarily moved out to stay with another family member because my mum wasn’t well with her mental health and the medication that she was on it made it difficult to live there with the children.
“This is our family home and has been for 20 years but my mummy died on 5 August. It was very traumatic when she passed away, we were back in the house at the time and I tried to resuscitate her and my son was there when it happened. My son is having to see a counsellor at school and it was very difficult for him.
GRIEF: Arlene Dornan said the loss of her mother and the upcoming loss of their home had been traumatic for the family
Arlene continued: “Our problems started around Christmas last year when a couple of men from the Housing Executive came out and had a look and afterwards we received a new tenancy agreement to stay in the home but soon after we received a call to say that we didn’t, even though we had just received a new agreement.
“The Housing Executive said the men who came over weren’t in the job that long and had made a mistake and should never have given me the agreement. It’s been very difficult trying to deal with all the grief from my mummy passing and now them saying we can’t stay in our home anymore.
"They will be making me and the children homeless. It’s now two weeks or so until we have to be out and the stress is making me really unwell.
“We have been under so much stress and it’s also affecting the children, my son Leo still sleeps in his granny’s room and that is able to give him some peace. I can’t go into the room at all yet, I still can’t face going in there.
“When the Housing Executive asked for the seven letters and bits of evidence to show that we have been living here we were able to send them all off to show we have lived here bar that break of a few weeks when my mummy was very unwell. This is just taking such a toll on all of us and it has made the pain of losing her so much worse.”
LOSS: The family have been left devastated by the death of Arlene's mother Patricia in August 2023
North Belfast Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín is assisting Arlene with her appeal so that herself and her children can stay in the family home. Carál said the family are well regarded in the area and her office had received calls from her neighbours to ask for assistance in helping the family.
Carál said: “Arlene lost her application for the succession of tenancy and I’m helping her with the appeal. From everything I’ve seen it’s been a clear example of her and the children having been living in the house.
“Arlene left her family home for around a week after some difficulty with her mother and went to live with her aunt and registered there, but she was back and living in the family’s house after a week. The Housing Executive, in my opinion, while they have to respect what the guidance is, there’s also a need to hear what people are saying.
“Arlene’s neighbours and people in the community have all lobbied with me because her children have grown up in that Court. They are a well-established and well-liked family in the area and have received a lot of support from the community and her neighbours since her mummy’s death.
“I would appeal to the Housing Executive to take those circumstances into consideration because they are going to make a family of three homeless and it just doesn’t make sense.
“Arlene is currently appealing that decision and I am going to help her with that appeal. Arlene has been through the mill since her mummy died and she has been doing her best in very difficult circumstances and this has been said also by her neighbours who have spoken with me on the phone.”
A spokesperson for the Housing Executive said: "We assessed this case and found no grounds to award succession at the property. The applicant has 28 days to appeal this decision and if fresh evidence is made available, this may be considered."
