Couple with eight children claim they’re being “neglected” by not being given a bigger council house – despite having turned down a five-bed property.
Arnold Mballe Sube and his wife Jeanne, 33, share their three-bedroom, end-of-terrace home with their eight young kids.
But the couple say they need at least six doubles for them to live comfortably.
They claim the conditions of their home in Luton, Beds., are “terrible”, but turned down the chance to live somewhere roomier over a lack of storage space.
Arnold, 33, said: “Me and my family have been neglected, we are living in a three bedroom house and there’s not enough room for us to live – there’s ten of us.
“It’s so cramped and the conditions are terrible, my children are starting school and we can’t stay here any longer – we need a bigger house.
“The council is trying to make things hard for us, my wife is a full time mother and I am a student.
“They’re just making excuses, we need a five or six bedroom house with double rooms to comfortably fit our family in.”
Arnold moved his family from France in 2012 so that he could study mental health nursing at the University of Bedfordshire.
Arnold claims he works as a support worker for two health and social care companies during the holidays when he is not studying at university.
It is compulsory he carries out this work so that his benefits continue to be paid.
Luton Borough Council housed them in a hotel for almost four months before they moved to their current property.
Their youngest daughter is just three-months old but even after viewing a new, five bedroom house, the family refused this property because of the lack of storage space.
Arnold added: “There wasn’t space for the things of ten people, it didn’t even have a dining room.”
A spokesperson from Luton Borough Council said: “Housing stock in Luton, is under constant pressure and on occasions we may have to locate families temporarily outside of Luton.
“Despite difficulties we managed to find Mr and Mrs Sube affordable housing in Luton that is large enough to house them and their eight children.
“After a generous offer on our part, we have done our bit and if housing is offered and declined without, what we judge, good reason, then we will offer the property to another family.”
