A single mum-of-two says she sleeps with a knife under her bed at night because she is terrified in her "extremely dangerous" building.
The tenant, who is a survivor of domestic abuse and has asked for anonymity, lives with her teenage son and baby daughter,
She says the trio are the only people still living in the "abandoned" block in East London - which leaves her fearing for her safety.
The mum, 39, shares a bed with her son, 14, and daughter, aged 14 months, because she doesn't want her son to be scared at night.
She first moved into the property with her son in 2007, reports MyLondon.
It was a fresh start for the family, after she fled a violent partner and was homeless.
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However in 2018, she claims she was handed a letter by Clarion Housing explaining she must leave because the entire building was "extremely dangerous".
She said: "I received a letter saying I needed to decamp, the building is extremely dangerous - a housing officer promised me that we would get support.
"A lot of the tenants were tricked into homes because they were non-English speakers, they didn't understand the process. They were worried they’d be out on the streets, and now I’m the last one here."
The "process" is by being placed into temporary accommodation or permanent housing found by Clarion.
However, the mum is refusing to move into the permanent and temporary accommodation previously offered by Clarion because she fears she will be living in temporary housing with her kids for years.
"What Clarion do is they lie, they cheat people and put them in temporary accommodation and just leave them there for years - rotting," she alleged.
Because the mum rejected Clarion's options of living in a "crime ridden" estate nearby and out of borough in Walthamstow, Clarion served her a notice of possession order (known as a court order) last March.
She says she was horrified when a senior housing officer reportedly told her in a later meeting: "It's social housing, what do you expect?"
While suffering a miscarriage a few weeks ago, the mum was notified by Clarion that they will be taking her to court because the six-month notice of their possession order period had ended.
She believes Clarion is "responsible" for her recent miscarriage at nine-and-a-half weeks, and wants to sue them for violating her human rights.
Breaking down in tears, the mum said: "I was so happy when I moved in - now I'm in a really bad state.
"I don’t want to live in a squalor now, I just don’t want to be living like this.
"It’s my fourth Christmas stuck here, for New Years we’ll be stuck here - everyone else apart from Clarion tenants will be enjoying themselves. I’m just here on my own, it’s crazy, no neighbours, no one to look out for you, it’s just awful."
She claims the communal hallways now reek of urine and gone-off food because no maintenance staff have tended to the building since 2018.
While faulty fire alarms means the family are often woken up past midnight to the sound of extremely loud fire alarms.
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On one occasion, firefighters had to break a door down with a crowbar because they couldn't get in.
She also no longer receives post, including vital food vouchers for her toddler.
"There’s hardly any food in the house, I’m really, really struggling," the mum said.
She continued: "It’s really hard, everywhere you turn to, they should be safeguarding us, they just turn your back on you - whether it’s the councillor, the local MP, Citizens Advice Bureau, HSC, Environmental Health - they just send emails here and there, things are going round in circles, but nothing's being done.
"It’s really depressing, it’s had a really bad impact on my physical health, I’ve had a miscarriage now because of all of this stress.
"I don’t sleep at night, I don’t eat. I’m a zombie because I’m working all day. I’ve got a baby that’s 14 months old who’s sick, I’m on my own and people just don’t have any regard."
Inside the two-bed flat, the mum says it's extremely stuffy with little air because the windows have never opened very far, while a mice infestation is rife.
It's taken a toll on the woman's teenage son too, who suffers from thalassemia, a blood cell disorder that produces less haemoglobin than usual - causing fatigue and brittle bones.
Describing her son's patience, she says: "My son has stopped asking me about our situation now as he’s seen how it’s affected me.
"He sees that and knows it hurts me. He’s a good boy and doesn’t pressurise me much.
"He says, 'mum don’t worry, we’re not always going to live like this, I promise you I’ll study hard and I’ll get you out of here'."
Since the pandemic hit, the mum says her housing situation has "gone out of control", it's also been a struggle to maintain her hair and beauty business - a business sector that was hit hard by Covid-19.
"I’m not expecting luxury like Kensington and Chelsea, I just want a normal house where me and my kids can heal," she adds.
A Clarion spokesperson said: "When Lemon Tree House was determined as unsafe in 2018, we worked closely with all residents to find them suitable alternative accommodation.
"We have offered the resident a number of suitable properties, including both temporary and permanent options.
"The safety and wellbeing of our residents is our number one priority and there are approved fire safety measures in place in the building.
"We remain committed to working with the resident to find a permanent home."
