'My son asks me why I look so sad. I'm stressed'

“My son always asks me, 'Dad why do you look so sad?' It’s because I’m constantly stressed,” says Dennis James.

The father-of-two from Croydon became unexpectedly homeless and temporarily jobless this year.

Mr James, 38, was left living in his car for months in the town centre's Whitgift car park and fears he will have to return to the car for Christmas if nothing changes.

A Croydon Council spokesperson said they continued to support Mr James after he declined temporary accommodation.

"All I want is just for them to find me a place that’s affordable," Mr James told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

He explained that he took out an unaffordable loan to rent an expensive studio flat near East Croydon Station to avoid losing his new job.

At the start of the year, Mr James was living with his then partner and two children in a home they had shared for eight years.

When their relationship broke down, he discovered that his name had not been on the tenancy agreement and resorted to living in his car.

It was the first time since moving to Croydon more than 13 years ago that Mr James found himself without a support network to rely on.

Support, he said, was important because he is autistic and struggles with anxiety.

He said: “After the breakup, I was told [the council] would try to sort out some sort of emergency housing after they do a personal housing assessment.

"I told them I had already done that three times.”

A lack of interaction from the council, a case officer not calling him when they said they would and being left waiting for two weeks because someone was on holiday left him in limbo for months, he said.

Meanwhile Mr James was living in his car, unable to secure any accommodation because he had been made redundant from his job as a TV scheduler.

“I wasn’t able to bathe or do anything," he said.

"Half the time I had to leave the car on just to get some heat, so the car was dead half the time and I’m still paying off getting the car’s batteries replaced.

"I was in the Whitgift car park most of the time, which I got so many tickets for.

"There was a time when I was parked up and got a clamp on my car.

“I just needed somewhere secluded, because I didn’t feel safe in my car. It wasn’t easy. I was approached by people multiple times and made reports about it but nothing happened."

Mr James said this led him to "double up" on anti-anxiety medication.

"Everything was too much,” he said.

After six months, Mr James was offered an "unsuitable" property with "mould in the ceilings" in Streatham which he visited with Rowenna Davis, Labour councillor for Waddon.

Ms Davis said she believes the housing system is failing Mr James and other people in similar situations.

“I’ve lost track of the number of calls, emails and meetings we’ve had trying to get the council to meet their basic duties to Dennis," she said.

“He is doing everything he can to help himself – even going to job interviews whilst sleeping in his car.

"Whilst he’s doing everything he can, the council seems to be making things worse.

“He’s repeatedly had to tell his harrowing story, only to be promised help and then ignored over and over again in a revolving door of expensive and ineffective bureaucracy."

After months in his car, during which time he lost another job due to not having a place to stay, Mr James said he took matters into his own hands and move into a flat in east Croydon – but he cannot stay long-term and has been asked to move out by 22 November.

Mr James said that since moving into the flat, he found a new job as a scheduler.

But he needs to repay a loan he took out to secure the tenancy, and pay the fines and arrears he accrued during his time as a homeless parent.

He said he now owes thousands of pounds.

With less than £100 disposable income every month, he said saving money is impossible and he fears he will be spending Christmas back in his car.

Speaking directly to Croydon Council, he said: “I hope you’re happy, because I feel broken."

A Croydon Council spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear about Mr James’ experiences.

"There is a London-wide demand for housing, which means that often residents are offered temporary accommodation until a longer-term solution can be found.

"The council offered Mr James temporary housing, which he declined, but we continued to support him, advising him on his options and offering guidance.

“We will continue to work with Mr James to further discuss his housing needs and alternative options.”

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