Television presenter Alison Hammond was moved to tears during a powerful encounter with a single mother who has spent over five years living in temporary accommodation with her young son.
A Heartbreaking Reality Check
The This Morning star has partnered with the housing charity Shelter for their #AllHomesCount winter campaign. The collaboration saw her meet Alicia, 39, and her six-year-old son, Aeon, who have been homeless for almost the entirety of the boy's life.
Speaking to The Mirror, an emotional Hammond explained the profound connection she felt. "She's a single mom the same way that I am so I really felt connected to her," she said. "No one should have to live how Alicia and Aeon are living. They're in temporary accommodation but they've been there for over 5 years now – that doesn't feel very temporary to me."
A Mother's Christmas To-Do List
The reality of Alicia's situation became starkly clear as she described her pre-Christmas preparations. Her list did not just include buying presents, but also involved purchasing fresh rodent traps, chasing urgent maintenance work, and dealing with dangerous mould growth on the walls of their London temporary housing.
"Both of them have been struggling with their breathing lately, and Aeon's even been in hospital," Hammond revealed, visibly distressed. "She's laying two types of mouse traps because the infestation's got that bad... This is Alicia's Christmas to-do list. Can you imagine?"
Alicia described the severe impact on their health and wellbeing, stating, "My asthma has gotten worse, my son's breathing has gotten worse, and there are moments when he stops breathing at night." She expressed feeling "forgotten" and "lost in the system," after being moved between multiple unsuitable properties, all while battling damp, bedbugs, and mice.
A National Crisis
This personal story unfolds against a backdrop of a severe national housing crisis. Official figures show that 172,420 children are currently recorded as homeless and living in temporary accommodation across England. This is the highest number since records began 21 years ago.
Alison Hammond reflected on her own childhood, contrasting it with the reality for thousands of families today. "When I was younger, my mum was given a social home... it meant safety and security. I just wish that was the case for Alicia and Aeon, and for all of the other families who are stuck in temporary accommodation with no end in sight."
Shelter's Chief Executive, Sarah Elliott, emphasised the scale of the problem: "Every day we hear from families in temporary accommodation who are terrified of waiting out the winter in appalling conditions... No family should face homelessness alone this Christmas." The charity is urging the public to donate to support its emergency helpline and frontline services.
