A couple with eight children facing imminent eviction say they have nowhere to go and are “scared” for their kids.
Jodie Hand and Carl Ellis, 45, have lived at the home for two years but were told last year its owner wanted them out as he wanted to turn it into a house of multiple occupancy.
Since then they have searched for a new home for them and their children Carl, 19, Joseph, 15, Finley, 12, Leighton, 11, Matilda, five, Minnie, three, and Bonnie, two.
However they struggled to find anywhere which they could afford with their £700 a month budget and are due to be evicted today, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Jodie, 38, said: “We've literally got nowhere to go. We've got to be out on 17th March which is Friday. I'm scared for my kids.
“We've got seven kids and a new born baby, so in total it's eight and three of the kids have got autism.
“I've just had a C-Section four weeks ago. I'm in absolutely agony.
"The baby is four weeks old and I'm trying to pack a house up with eight kids in it and my husband is ill. We're not getting anywhere with anybody. No one is helping me at all.
"We moved here because it would be a bigger property to provide more space with the kids with complex needs. They've never had any problems with us.
“We're a family, we keep ourselves to ourselves. If we had rent arrears or an ASBO I'd understand.
"A year after being in the property [the landlord] decided he wasn't going to renew the property because he would get more money if he had it as a HMO.
“Some of the rents are absolutely shocking - £1,500 a month for houses we need.”
Jodie said they have also looked for private houses available to rent over the last 12 months, but there is nothing that they can afford for a similar price to their current rent of £700 a month.
A spokesperson for Liverpool City Council said it has provided the family with "the advice they need and explained to them the process." The spokesperson added the council's housing options team are working with the family to find alternative accommodation.
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: "It's an understandably traumatic experience for a tenant to be in and the council fully understands and accepts what people go through in that scenario.
"In this experience, we've spoken to the family, we've provided them with the advice they need and explained to them the process.
“Officers and the team in housing options are working to find alternative accommodation suitable for the family.”
