Garage Living

Further effects of the credit crunch- a couple from Kent have been living in a garage since they both lost their jobs in April.

Paula Lacey and Michael Ward were forced to move out of their house when it was repossessed after they became unable to afford the mortgage payments.

The new home has no running water or electricity but the relatively secure roof over their head costs £10 per week.

They claimed they had “nowhere to go” and now use shower and toilet facilities at the local swimming centre.

Mrs Lacey said: “If we’ve got the money we go to a local pub we know that do really nice meals for £1.50.

Their local authority, Swale Borough Council, said in a statement: “We advised them how to make an application for homelessness and will now look more closely at their application.

We will weigh up the information provided and will decide in due course if the council has a duty to house them permanently.”

The landlord of the garage has issued them with a notice to quit but has also tried to help the couple find somewhere better to live.

He said: “I didn’t know it [the credit crunch] could narrow to this but I think there are probably people all over the UK living like it.”