Desperate migrant family camping in town centre reject housing Because of a Shocking Reason

A family from Iraq is currently living in tents on the streets of Stockport town centre after turning down an offer of housing. The family includes a man named Mohammed, his wife, and their 18-year-old son.

They arrived in the UK last year, hoping for a better life, but things have not gone as they expected. For the past ten days, they have been sleeping outside in rough conditions, right in front of the offices of Stockport Homes, which is the organization responsible for helping people with housing in that area.

Stockport Homes said they did offer the family a place to stay and also gave them support and advice. However, Mohammed and his family turned down the offer because the place they were offered was in another area outside of Stockport.

Mohammed explained that they didn’t feel comfortable moving to a new area they didn’t know, especially since it would be with a different housing provider they were not familiar with. He said they feel unsafe living on the street, his wife is unwell, and they desperately need help. But for them, moving somewhere unfamiliar didn’t feel like a real solution.

The housing crisis in Stockport and surrounding areas is very serious. Many people are also waiting for homes, and the demand is much higher than what is available. Stockport Homes made it clear that finding a place for the family within Stockport, especially at short notice, is extremely difficult. There simply aren’t enough homes to meet the need.

The organization also said that they have tried offering different types of support to the families staying in tents, including suggestions like shared housing and setting up meetings to explore other possibilities. One person agreed to the help, but two—including Mohammed and his family—have said no to the options offered so far.

A spokesperson from Stockport Homes said they understand that seeing people living in tents in the town centre is painful and sad for everyone, especially for those who have to sleep outside in all kinds of weather. They take the situation very seriously and want to help as much as they can.

Although there is a lot of pressure on the housing system, they say there are still ways they can assist people, and they will keep trying to work with the families until they find a solution that the families feel comfortable accepting. They are not giving up on them and will continue to talk with them to hopefully find a place that works.