'We were made homeless while on our honeymoon'

A couple claim they have been left homeless after they returned from their two-week honeymoon to find the locks on their rented property were changed.

Lisa and Christopher Dunn were staying in social housing in Stoke-on-Trent with their 18-year-old son but are now sleeping in a doorway of the old Hanley Town Hall. "When we got back from honeymoon, we had no property to go into," said Mr Dunn.

A spokesperson for their former landlord, Honeycomb Group, said they had been left with no choice but to evict the family following repeated offers of support.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council said they had now offered the family temporary hotel accommodation.

The couple got married on 26 October and a day later went on honeymoon. "While we were away, they came in and changed the locks," said Mr Dunn.

"When we contacted them, they said they changed the locks due to an abandonment.

"We are [now] getting one to two hours sleep a night; it's not good on us, it's making our physical health worse because the cold is getting in our bones. It's hurting us more.

"We've had people come and ask us if we want to buy monkey dust and all different drugs. It's having a dramatic effect on all of us."

Mr Dunn said the family had various disabilities that caused them more difficulty while living on the street.

"Every aspect of our life is being affected by what is going on," he said.

He claimed they were made homeless as a result of a dispute over a rent rise with their social landlord, Concrete, which is part of the Honeycomb Group.

Mr Dunn said he eventually agreed to the rent increase and asked for a new agreement to be put in writing, which he claimed he never received.

Honeycomb Group said it had served the family with an eviction notice after "many breaches of their tenancy agreement" and despite "extensive offers of support".

The Dunns claimed they had told the social housing provider they were going on their honeymoon, and Concrete agreed to postpone their eviction until they returned.

During this time, Concrete said they had made several attempts to contact the couple, and they did not respond.

A spokesperson said they checked the property and found it virtually empty.

"We presumed they had left, so we started the process of repairing the home for the next resident," they said.

They added that the couple were given the opportunity to retrieve their belongings, and a referral was made to the city council's homelessness support services.

"We always strive to achieve positive outcomes for the customers we work with, but sadly this is not always possible," they said.

Mr Dunn said he felt the family was not a priority, despite their disabilities.

The council said they had now offered the family temporary accommodation.

"This will be two rooms in a hotel, initially. We will continue to work with the family to identify a longer-term housing solution," they said.

Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing and planning at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said the authority's homeless assessment process was set down in law and was carried out in the same way by all local authorities.

"Unfortunately, following this assessment of their individual circumstances and in the absence of any evidence provided with their application with regard to their health, it was found that the couple is not in priority need, and therefore the council is not legally required to provide them with accommodation," he said.

He added that the council advised the couple on the options available to them and was supporting the couple while they continued to find suitable long-term accommodation.

The family is also able to appeal the decision, he said.

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