Plea to housing association after disabled Northampton woman is refused mutual exchange

Mum-of-one Amanda is pleading with the housing association to move her to the house, which she has renovated out of her own money.

Amanda O'Neill, 37, of Briar Hill, has suffered from chronic fibromyalgia since October last year and lives at home with her partner, 14-year-old niece Georgia and three-year-old son Thomas.

Back in June, Amanda, who uses a walking stick to get around, was promised a mutual exchange, by Northampton Partnership Homes, so she could live at a bigger property in Briar Hill.

Amanda was given a ten day deadline to cut back the front and back gardens at the other home, plaster the landing ceiling and clean up mold to get the house up to living standards.

Amanda wants her son and niece to have their own rooms and for a larger house so she can get around easier.

But after the ten-day-revamp was over Miss O'Neill received a letter, which told her the exchange had been "withdrawn and cancelled."

Now she wants reassurance that she will be reimbursed the full Â£580, which she personally spent on property repairs, or the property agreement to be followed through.

She said: "I've got a little boy you know. It would have helped towards bills or treating the kids, taking them out in the school holidays and that.

"For Georgia, you can't expect a 14-year-old girl to share a bedroom with a three-year-old boy. She helps me out no end and she's brilliant with him [Thomas]. It's only fair that she has her space. She needs her own space.

"It's not fair what they have done."

The property exchange would have given the family a third bedroom for Georgia, who currently shares with toddler Thomas, as well as a driveway and outhouses, which Amanda wanted to turn into a downstairs bathroom to help with her fibromyalgia.

She added: "To be fair, myself and my family were all so excited to be moving, the kids having their own spaces, and I wouldn't have to struggle any more.

"When we got the letter to say that we weren't moving the way they spoke to me and treated me was so upsetting."

A spokesman for NPH said: “We are sorry for the disappointment Miss O’Neill has experienced as a result of her application to exchange properties being withdrawn. Unfortunately, because the application involves another tenant, we are unable to share details of the case. We will contact Miss O’Neill directly to advise her further.”