05 Apr 2025
It’s a Friday morning, and Dayanira Rodriguez-Marquez is on the train to her job as deputy head housekeeper at the Park Lane Hilton when her mobile rings.
The caller is a housing officer from SADC, instructing her that she needs to move out of the temporary accommodation she shares with her two young children in St Albans city centre, and relocate to Hemel Hempstead within the hour…
Dayanira forces back the tears as she recalls the series of events which led her to this nightmarish predicament. She clutches her four-year-old son and daughter, three, close to her chest, as if frightened of ever letting them go.
Born in Mexico, she came to the UK in 2004 and has worked in the hospitality sector ever since, living in various properties across St Albans including Alma Road and Old London Road.
Dayanira moved into a two-bedroom flat in Millers Rise with her partner and their children in 2022, paying a standard rent of around £1,350 per month. But in December 2023 their landlord texted to say he was serving them notice as he wanted to sell the property, giving them just three weeks to find somewhere else to live.
At first she wasn’t too concerned, and began looking for alternative accommodation across the city, only to soon realise that most places were either too expensive or small and unsuitable.
The mounting stress of the situation began putting strain on her relationship, and she begged the landlord to give them more time to find somewhere.
Eventually Dayanira turned to St Albans district council and Citizens Advice for help, and was told that the landlord had not given enough notice, resulting in an extended period for them to continue searching after he served them with a Section 21 notice, effectively ending their tenancy.
But with her income insufficient for any other properties, nobody to act as a guarantor, and her partner telling her their relationship was no longer working, things began going from bad to worse.
SADC told her she had to make herself voluntarily homeless, and she was subsequently evicted from the flat at the start of December. With her possessions in storage, she was forced to dash back to Mexico with the children in tow after her mother became seriously ill.
Returning to the UK at the beginning of January, they moved into temporary accommodation at the Travelodge in St Peter’s Street.
“The kids were already so traumatised after losing their home,” she explained. “Now we found ourselves living in a single room with three beds and no cooking facilities. The hotel would not provide a microwave or other facilities so I had to buy takeaway food and wash our clothes at the launderette or my friend’s house.”
Regardless of the hardship of these living conditions, Dayanira was grateful to have a roof over their heads, and remained determined to get things back on track, despite the fact that her ex had since relocated to Oxford, leaving her with limited childcare options.
“I just want my life back. I’ve been working all my life and this is the first time I’ve ever asked for help, it’s so embarrassing. I never thought I would be facing these issues, I just want to do the best for my kids, they deserve better than this.”
But the situation took another grim turn a couple of weeks ago on March 20. A housing officer from SADC told her to move out of the hotel that afternoon as it was fully booked and there was no room for them to stay, with a new location found in Hemel Hempstead for the immediate future.
Dayanira’s initial tenure had come to an end and was being extended every fortnight, meaning officers had the right to relocate her out of the district if no space was available in St Albans.
“I was in tears. I don’t drive and need the childcare I have in St Albans in order to work, but was told if I didn’t accept these terms then I would have to find my own accommodation.
“Then someone else called and told me I had to check out now. I’d had no advance warning and was in London for work, so they agreed to give me an hour.”
Dayanira rushed back to the Travelodge and desperately began packing up their things while calling and emailing the council’s housing department, but she heard nothing back.
Eventually, at around 1.20pm, surrounded by bags and suitcases, she received a call from another housing officer to say she didn’t need to move after all, as they’d found another room at the hotel, and were extending her tenure for another fortnight.
But for Dayanira, this is little more than a stay of execution: “Every two weeks I could be in the same situation, there’s just no certainty. It’s having an effect on my children and my own mental health. All we want is a home.
“My children are happy at their pre-school and it would be unfair to put them through more disruptive changes in their little lives. At the moment the school is the only thing that has been stable for them, as they have already lost their home and their Dad.”
Shelley Hayles, founder and CEO of Leeanna’s Wish CIC, who has been helping Dayanira’s case, said: “The UK is facing a devastating housing crisis, with nearly 150,000 children currently homeless due to evictions by private landlords. In Hertfordshire alone, close to 2,000 children are among the ‘hidden homeless,f’ orced to live in inadequate and unsuitable temporary accommodation.
Unaffordable rents are driving families into unstable living conditions where they lack essential facilities such as cooking appliances, refrigerators, and clothes-washing amenities—despite many parents working full-time jobs. This crisis is not just about housing; it is about human dignity and the fundamental rights of children and families.
“Children’s life chances are being hindered, they are often uprooted from their schools in the middle of crucial exams like GCSEs. Parents are forced to leave their jobs, plunging families deeper into financial insecurity. The long-term consequences on children’s mental health, education, and life opportunities cannot be underestimated..
“We call on the Government to take immediate action to address the national housing crisis. Urgent measures must be implemented to ensure families have access to stable, affordable housing, protecting the futures of thousands of children across the UK.”
SADC strategic director for community and place delivery, Chris Traill, said: “We cannot comment on individual cases as they involve highly confidential information and
“In common with other local authorities, our housing team are dealing with a significant rise in people seeking help because they are experiencing homelessness or at risk of doing so.
“We have a statutory duty to find temporary accommodation for many of those affected while they wait for a more permanent solution. This increase in cases has put a considerable strain on our finances as well as the temporary housing accommodation that we own.
“There is also a shortage of accommodation in the district’s private rented sector which means we often have to house people in hotels.
“This is not an ideal arrangement, but one that cannot be avoided. Our team is in regular touch with all of the households we are helping, discussing any problems they encounter and how they may be best resolved.
“We also make people aware of other agencies and services available to help them such as St Albans Community Bank which can assist with raising a deposit for a rental property.”
Ms Traill added: “Eviction from the private rented sector is one of the top three reasons for people approaching the council as homeless. The Local Plan that we have developed and that is with the Planning Inspector for examination includes a commitment to provide social housing to help address this.”
