People struggling to find somewhere decent to live in Bristol fought back the tears as they told an unofficial renters' commission of their anguish this week. People living in rented or council accommodation gathered at City Hall to hold the conference - which took place outside the front door after they were barred from being represented on the official council Living Rent Commission.
And in response to being barred from having a representative on the commission, the renters' organisation ACORN pledged to collect and submit the experiences of anguish in finding an affordable place, spiralling rents, poor conditions and bad treatment by landlords to the council themselves.
One woman with fibromyalgia told the gathering how she had been left homeless a year ago, and had struggled in vain to find a landlord or letting agent willing to take on a person in a wheelchair on disability benefits. In a passionate speech, Jean Stone said: "I was literally told by four landlords they would not accept me because I was in receipt of disability benefit. I was very lucky I was able to sofa surf."
