A pregnant woman fleeing domestic violence claims she was told to "put cardboard up" when her front door's windows were smashed.
The woman feared that her ex had found her and that she was in danger, and feels Hounslow Council's response was lacking empathy or an understanding of her vulnerabilities.
The woman, who the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) will refer to only as Ms X to protect her identity, said she felt as if the council was acting "like an abusive partner".
Ms X was initially placed in a women's refuge when she fled her abusive partner before subsequently being placed in a studio flat.
She said Hounslow Council took months to fix the broken front door after it was smashed by an unknown person, and in the meantime she claims she was advised to patch up the hole with cardboard.
Speaking to the LDRS she said: "I have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), depression and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), and the council knows that, but they don't care. They said 'just put cardboard up' and offered a chain for the door.
"I told them how scared I was, I felt very isolated* I was afraid of a substance being thrown at me through the broken window. A chain isn't going to protect me from that."
The window was eventually replaced, but Ms X told the LDRS that she still feels at serious risk and worries it could happen again. She added: "They knew my situation, but they kept sending round male contractors, unaccompanied* when you've been in an abusive relationship you can [have triggers], I was shaking."
Hounslow Council said it is reviewing the case, however Ms X says she has been told by the authority that she will not be eligible for a larger property until she has given birth.
In a separate case, the council is currently in dispute with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman for failing a pregnant woman on several occasions. Despite advice from the Ombudsman to offer the woman a home, the council is refusing, giving Ms X little hope that her own situation will be considered any further.
She said: "The mental health team have told them [the council] that I need a new property, I can't be confined to one room all day. They're being difficult, but this is how they are, it's very challenging.
"The council definitely makes my mental health worse. There have been times when I've almost taken my own life because of how they treat me, I felt so alone, neglected* like no one's listening, I'm not being heard* They don't take mental health seriously, they neglect it."
Ms X says the council have instead advised her to look for a mutual exchange whereby council tenants swap properties with one another whilst remaining under the same authority.
Ms X describes this as an impossible suggestion, because she needs to up-size. She said: "Who would swap for this? Broken cupboards, broken door, mouldy, tiny studio."
The kitchen is so small that cupboard doors have been removed, and drawers and the washing machine cannot open fully due to the tight nature of the room.
Ms X says aside from the size being an issue, she has tried to ask the council to improve the kitchen. She fears she'll be stuck there with a newborn baby as her case won't be reconsidered in terms of her priority for an upgrade until it is born.
She said: "I've been trying to get work on my kitchen for a year and a bit, but they just send people round to measure 100 times and then they don't do anything. Then they'll say 'you'll get a call in a few weeks with the plans' but no one ever calls."
Councillor Sue Sampson, Cabinet Member for Housing Management and Homelessness, said: "We are aware of the resident's needs and have been working closely to support her, review her case and help her feel safe. Regrettably she doesn't currently meet the criteria for a bigger council house where demand and limited stock means we do have to manage high demand and cannot always provide the options we would like in cases like this."
::For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk
