A Norwich woman who was heartbroken to be evicted from her family home of 70 years is upset about the state of her new council bungalow.
Wendy Rudd, 65, was born in her parents' three-bed Finch Close council house in Heartsease and has fond memories of growing up there.
When her parents fell ill the minibus driver took early retirement and moved into the house with them.
Wendy said: “They had joint tenancy and when dad died it was passed onto mum.
“My mum died three years ago, my partner and I continued to live in the home for 18 months.
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“After those months the council took me to court and subsequently evicted me.
“Luckily my oldest daughter took us in. I slept on a mattress on the floor for six weeks.”
Norwich City Council's sheltered housing department contacted Wendy and offered her the Waddington Street bungalow she lives in now in NR2.
She said: “I’ve been here 14 months and the loft is infested with rats. When I try to relax in the evenings, I can hear them fighting.
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“As well as this, the tiles were falling off the bathroom wall and there is mould and mildew in the wardrobe.
“The council send surveyors out, but they never do anything.
“It’s not good for your mental health to live somewhere that makes you unhappy, the complex is only for over 60s, it is really hard to exchange.
“I looked after mum and dad's house and never in a million years thought I would be evicted.”
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The city council insists it is working to improve the issues.
A spokesman said: "Demand for social housing in Norwich is extremely high, with more people on the waiting list than there are homes available.
"We carefully consider the needs of all the households that apply for housing and the properties we can offer to meet that demand.
"We have visited [this] home to complete new tiling and plastering, as well as carry out a mould wash, with further appointments booked in to deal with any outstanding issues."
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