Despair of Enfield family stuck living in hotels after house fire

Piotr Rembikowski staged a one-man protest outside Enfield Council's offices on Monday over his situation

A wheelchair user who has been living in London hotels with his family since their home was destroyed in a fire 14 months ago says he often cries at night over the situation.

Piotr Rembikowski has been staying with his wife and two children in temporary rooms paid for by Enfield Council.

Since then, he has been unable to find accommodation either through private landlords or the council.

He said it was "so hard because I have to lie to my kids".

Mr Rembikowski described how at night he goes into the bathroom and cries about what has happened.

He said he also regularly finds himself lying to his children, telling them "it's going to be tomorrow, we're going to find something, we're going to be good, don't worry, never give up".

Mr Rembikowski and his family are about to be moved to their fourth hotel

A carpenter by trade, Mr Rembikowski lost the use of his legs last year when he fell down stairs. Four months later, a fire at a nearby construction site spread and destroyed the home they had been renting for 16 years.

Since then, he has not been able to find private accommodation with letting agents repeatedly telling him they have nothing for him.

Enfield Council has been unable to find him accommodation as well, with Mr Rembikowski saying the only properties they have been offered include one on the 11th floor and a care home.

"Sometimes I think I'm not human for them," he said.

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He added that living in a hotel was tough; before the fire he was having physiotherapy four times a week, but now he is unable to have it as the hotel he was most recently in says it goes against its policies to have the equipment needed in its rooms.

The bathroom facilities have also been difficult.

"It's not a disabled toilet, there's no space, the wash basin is in the way. Reversing the wheelchair to get to the toilet is very hard," he said.

The fire that destroyed the home they had been renting began at a nearby construction site

Mr Rembikowski added that not only was a lack of cooking facilities difficult, it was costing the council a lot of money.

"Every day we eat the same food. I have no choice but to eat the same junk food every day. We can only get the restaurant food and the cheapest one is the kebab, £10 per person so for my family, £40. This is only dinner."

He said whenever he speaks to a case worker, he tells them "whatever you give me, I'll start moving straight away. I want to start cooking, I want to start living".

He added that the council was paying about £50,000 to £60,000 per year for his family to live in hotel accommodation, money which would have paid rent for a house for several years.

"They have to pay for a lot of case workers, a lot of people taking the money in Enfield Council, it is not just one person working on homelessness, it's a few people working and taking a salary and then nothing, for 14 months? You can't even help me with a private accommodation?" he said.

The council says there is a "national housing problem"

In a statement, Enfield Council said it had "explored a number of avenues" to find them suitable accommodation, but "larger properties that are adaptable are exceptionally difficult to find".

It added there were other families in similar situations.

"This is a national housing challenge problem," the statement said.

"All local authorities are facing record homelessness levels, particularly since high interest rates caused landlords to flee the market, leaving fewer options for housing."

Additional reporting by Rebecca Cafe

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