A woman who won gold for Great Britain at the Paralympics has described how she was on the brink of homelessness after being evicted in March.
Megan Giglia MBE had to leave her rented Stockport home last month after being given a no fault eviction by her former landlord last year.
It left her facing life on the streets and having to seek help from the borough’s homelessness prevention services.
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The 40-year-old won Great Britain’s first medal of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio when she won gold in the 3,000m individual pursuit, and also won titles in the UCI Para-cycling World Championships the same year.
Megan and her nine-year-old child are currently staying in a hotel in Altrincham, which is funded by Stockport Homes, while applying for properties on the borough’s social housing register.
Stockport Homes said it “completely understands how distressing and frustrating” the situation is, and has done everything it can to support Megan and others in similar situations.
Great Britain’s Megan Giglia competes at the Rio Olympic Velodrome
From Kent, she moved to Greater Manchester for access to sports and training facilities, but has found herself in a desperate position.
“I just don’t know how I’ve ended up in this,” Megan said. “I have good days and bad days, I try to keep it away from the kids.
“I get severe headaches from the stress of it all, it’s not great, but I manage because I have to. If I didn’t have my kids, I’d be suicidal.”
In 2013, Megan had a stroke and brain haemorrhage which left her with weakness on her right side and difficulties with balance.
But she has found herself at odds with Stockport Homes over the type of social housing property she could live in.
She says she would be happy with a house with stairs, but Stockport Homes say she requires a level access flat or bungalow, with a level access shower, after an assessment of her medical needs.
Megan has been living in a hotel in Altrincham
The gold-medal winner says she is able to manage stairs and walk most days.
She also worries that not having an outdoor space such as a garden could be detrimental for her child, as well as her two pet dogs who are currently with kept with her partner.
“They’re not allowing me a choice [of properties],” Megan said. “The system is set up to keep people out and push you to go private, but I can’t go private, so I’m in limbo.”
She said she has tried looking for bungalows to rent privately, but some can cost as much as £2,500 a month.
She added: “I can’t survive that, it’s impossible.”
She also claimed Stockport Homes has ignored some of her messages, and believes they are “waiting until [I’m] in the worst case situation before doing anything.”
While Megan and her son are currently staying in a hotel, she worries that they might be moved to a hostel eventually.
The situation has also impacted her sporting career, Megan says, claiming she had to leave a talent academy for the British shooting team where she was aiming to compete at the “highest level.”
“I can’t survive that, it’s impossible”
The social housing provider said it has contacted Megan to advise which additional information she needs to provide if she wants to be considered for an adapted house.
It also said its registration team made numerous attempts to contact Megan to discuss her application for social housing in October.
A Stockport Homes spokesperson added: “Decisions around housing offers are never taken lightly.
“They’re based on information from medical and occupational therapist assessments, often with an independent doctor reviewing this information, to ensure needs are fully understood, and to make sure people are offered/placed somewhere that meets these assessed housing needs.”
The company is responsible for managing Stockport’s social housing on behalf of the council.
Megan Giglia
It added: “Sadly, this challenge isn’t unique to Stockport, and unfortunately there simply isn’t the accommodation available in the numbers needed to meet the demand.
“Across the country, millions of people are waiting for social housing while the number of suitable homes continues to fall — particularly those that meet more complex needs.
“In England, only 7 per cent of homes meet basic accessibility criteria, and it’s even more difficult to find homes that also accommodate pets or outdoor space.
“Even with the pressures we’re facing, we’re doing everything we can to help – reviewing all social properties that become available for letting, offering ongoing advice and support, and doing our best to increase the supply of genuinely affordable, accessible homes in Stockport.”