Visits to her husband’s grave, as well as her other three children, would mean a three hour drive.<\/p>\n
New dad Kian Jones was also offered a move away from his support network as the council suggested Hartlepool for his young family, including his six-month-old baby and partner.<\/p>\n
Both he and Geraldine believed it was their ‘final offer’ of housing, despite it being their first. In both cases, Birmingham City Council<\/a> later told us it understood the offers were unsuitable.<\/p>\n Housing officers have since vowed to help them find properties – although these come in “significantly short supply” here in Birmingham.<\/p>\n Geraldine White, a mum of four who lost her husband in a tragic incident -Credit:Nick Wilkinson\/Birmingham Live<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Geraldine was told she was a potential match for a new home in Hartlepool after her family were forced out of their previous privately-rented home.<\/p>\n They had to leave the property in Nechells as they mourned the loss of her husband Martin, who died days into the new year.<\/p>\n Despite being bounced between a hotel in Walsall<\/a>, a hostel in Tyseley and even a night sleeping rough in their shed, Geraldine refused the move to the north-east, which would have only included her and her youngest son.<\/p>\n But she said a council worker still tried to tempt her – telling her: ‘You’ll be by the beach’.<\/p>\n The authority denied a formal offer was made but said “all-time high” demand for homes in the city “severely restricted” what it could offer.<\/p>\n Geraldine White outside her temporary home -Credit:Nick Wilkinson\/Birmingham Live<\/p>\n “I’d rather buy a tent and camp on a piece of grass,” Geraldine said. “All I have left is my family.<\/p>\n “It’s breaking my heart. We haven’t been able to grieve properly.<\/p>\n “I’ve lost my home and my husband and If I wanted to sit beside his grave, I’d have to travel all the way down from Hartlepool.”<\/p>\n Of the Hartlepool offer, a journey of some 187 miles, she said: “The woman was very abrupt, I said I couldn’t move there because it was nowhere near my family, my son’s school.’<\/p>\n She said: ‘But you’ll be by the beach.'”<\/p>\n ‘A long wait for a home’<\/p>\n Asked about Geraldine’s case, Birmingham<\/a> City Council highlighted the “severe national housing crisis” as demand for housing in Birmingham reaches an “all-time high.”<\/p>\n It said she was initially placed as a potential match for the property outside Birmingham, but a formal offer was not made due to it being unsuitable.<\/p>\n A statement from the authority read: “The accommodation shortage severely restricts what options we can offer to people in need, and we know many people across the city are in difficult situations and facing a long wait for a home.<\/p>\n “The council\u2019s housing service looks at all options for suitable homes and we focus on matching families to properties which are both affordable and provide a positive environment for them, meeting their specific needs.”<\/p>\n It continued: “We understand Geraldine is in a difficult situation and are working with her to find suitable housing for herself and her family.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a priority for the council to do all we can to prevent homelessness from happening and to support people and families who find themselves in this situation.”<\/p>\n In Kian’s case, the family were left fearing they would have “nowhere to sleep” for the night after the council demanded they leave their temporary home.<\/p>\n The 25-year-old claimed he was being forced to either move to Hartlepool in a final offer – or face homelessness after he complained about rats and piles of rubbish at his temporary accommodation.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Geraldine](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/952da65e1571d086182cad225d3a7cdc.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Geraldine](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/e4ea17d5a8201c3cc2f6b34070530ddf.jpeg\"\/)
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![\"Kian](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/e50fb87987d20635826baa0e40b5c2d3.jpeg\"\/)
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