ANOTHER tragic story has come out of the housing crisis that blights the county of Pembrokeshire.

The Western Telegraph has been informed of a 61-year-old woman whose caravan was condemned by Pembrokeshire County Council, has been forced to live in homeless shelter Silverdale Lodge for over six months with no sign of getting new accommodation.  

Silverdale is often used as temporary accommodation for newly released prisoners.

Christine Hart says she is at her ‘wit’s end’ and believes her ‘terrifying’ existence will never be over after being evicted from her caravan in Pen-y-Cwm by environmental officers and moved to Silverdale on October 31, last year.

Christine, who suffers from emphysema and has an inoperable injury to her collarbone which means she can’t lift one of her arms, says she looks at the list of available accommodation supplied to residents of Silverdale every week with dread and a feeling of hopelessness as time after time there is hardly anything available to move people into.

Christine alleges she has been bullied at the shelter and often fears the people that are moved in there.  

Christine is in a room with a bathroom but no kitchen. She told the Western Telegraph conditions were 'terrible'. There was no plug for the washbasin and she could not bathe for four months due to struggling to get in the bath because of its height from the floor.

Speaking to Christine, she held back tears as she explained she could not believe how her life had turned.

“Coming from a caravan in a field to being cooped up with all these people is terrifying,” said Christine. “I am a prisoner. I am fenced in. I have not done anything wrong and there are people here from out of prison.

“I looked on the housing list and was prepared to take anything but there is nothing. All there was when I last looked was two and three bed houses which I cannot get. In St Davids there was a first floor flat I cannot do and in Pembroke there are two first floor flats and that is it.

“I have no contact with my housing officer and I am at my wit’s end.”

Age Cymru, which put PCC onto Christine’s case, say they cannot share any information due to data protection.

“I am a prisoner. I am fenced in. I have not done anything wrong and there are people here from out of prison.

Pembrokeshire County Council has said housing pressures are growing.

In a statement the council said: “The Housing service is not in a position to provide any response or comment in relation to any specific case.

“We are facing significant housing pressures in Pembrokeshire which is resulting in an increased demand and numbers waiting to be allocated to social housing.

“We have also seen an increase in the number of homeless presentations accommodated in emergency temporary accommodation.

“For all these cases, advice and support is provided including assistance to find alternative accommodation but there is limited availability of affordable and suitable properties.”

For Christine the wait looks like it will continue.