‘I went from paying £700, to a whopping £1200 per calendar month’

I was issued a Section 21 letter…. Suddenly I found myself in a very scary, vulnerable position. I am a single parent and have 2 children in school in Frome.
Having lived in Frome now for 20 years, raised 2 children and worked locally I found myself in a very tricky situation. I’d had my first Section 21 document back in 2017 but had been fortunate enough to find a different property which not only offered us more space, but also a little more security (I thought). Sadly, in January the Diocese of Bath and Wells wanted the house back, so we received our second Section 21. We had 2 months to find somewhere to live, we were deemed homeless and were in a desperate situation. The letting Agents who’d acted on the Landlords behalf knew I was a good, reliable tenant, managed to secure us a new home, which would cost me an extra £500 per month. Obviously, this was the only option open to me, as no new rentals were coming up. I went from paying £700, to a whopping £1200 per calendar month. I am incredibly aware of how lucky I was to have the agents fighting our side and securing the property. I am also very grateful that my children’s schooling wasn’t disrupted too much. My daughter had just done her GCSE’s, with many A*’s + awards for excellence, and my son was just finding his feet at the college.
The housing situation in Frome is terrible. Although I am paying more than most monthly mortgages, I have no security, and to be honest struggle to feel at home in our new rental. I feel scared to complain about appliances that don’t work in our home and dread the next Section 21! I’m fortunate to have fantastic friends who helped me move, but I had to take a massive loan from the Mendip Community fund, in order to make payments for the deposit on our property. I don’t drive, so moving to a cheaper property outside of Frome simply wasn’t an option.
I work in Frome part-time, and also receive Universal Credit to support my low income. I did apply for Social housing but was warned of how few houses become available in Frome. I remember being told that in one year, 17 families had been rehoused in the town. Living in a Travelodge as a homeless family, just wasn’t an option. We went for the only property available, but still live in fear. It shouldn’t be like this.