Desperate Luton father slams council as family of four left living in one Dunstable hotel room

Tanvir Islam, 34, became homeless after his rent rose by more than 40 per cent in five years and he could no longer afford to live in the three-bedroom house in Luton.

Tanvir, a black cab driver, was placed in a hotel by the council in January – along with his five-year-old son, infant daughter, his wife, and his parents – until March 6 when they were moved to Dunstable’s Old Palace Lodge.

He said: “I'm a working-class person. I’ve studied in this country, been paying taxes and I'm trying my best to support my family.

“We're stuck in a place with no kitchen, no space for the children."

The family is split across two rooms, with four living in one, and two – his parents – in another. There is no cot for the 18-month-old girl and Tanvir says his son had an adenectomy and a tonsillectomy at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital after falling ill during their stay.

He said: “Living in a hotel is like living without any freedom. There is a restricted time that we can come [in] between 7am to 8pm.

"My father needs to go downstairs, because he’s got insulin in the shared fridge, and he has mobility issues. My mother suffers from asthma, worsened by the hotel’s old carpets and dust."

Under the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2003, bed and breakfast accommodation is not considered suitable for families with children, except where there is no other accommodation available – and then only for a maximum of six weeks.

The council has exceeded this time limit, with the family now living at the hotel for 13 weeks.

A Luton Council spokesperson said: “Luton Council is responding to an unprecedented rise in the number of individuals and families in urgent need of homelessness support. The sharp increase in demand is being made worse by a severe shortage of affordable housing across the town.

“The council has recently launched the Find Your Own Home scheme giving households the opportunity to secure homes in the private rented sector. Through this scheme, the council offers a financial support package which includes one month’s rent in advance, a deposit, help with any rent shortfall, and incentives for landlords willing to participate.

“As part of a wider effort to prevent homelessness, the council has also stepped up its work to engage with local landlords, encouraging them to rent their properties to families at risk of homelessness. Incentives are available for landlords who help provide safe, stable homes for those in need.

“To meet the rising demand, the council has increased its resources to secure more private rented accommodation. This is aimed at reducing the use of hotels for emergency housing, with plans already underway to move families out of hotel placements starting this month. Hotels will only be used as a last resort.

“Every household placed in temporary accommodation is offered support through the Find Your Own Scheme, which has already helped many families avoid homelessness and move into more permanent homes. By working together, landlords, residents, and the council can help ensure that every family in Luton has access to safe, suitable housing and a more secure future.”

Tanvir is willing to move elsewhere in the county, or to Milton Keynes, if it means his family can live in a “safe place”.

He said: “We have been living on takeaways, or friends giving us a home-cooked meal. We just want a safe place where we can provide a home-cooked meal or a warm meal for the kids. We really don't feel safe. The kids need their place, like a home.”

Alex Mayer, MP for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard, added: "There is a national housing shortage. I support government efforts to build, and invest in new social housing and reform the private rental sector. I have been in touch with the family concerned over a number of months – who are originally from Luton – to make various suggestions. Long term I know Luton Council is working with the government to seek to increase the availability of suitable accommodation.”