Wokingham Family Faces Eviction Nightmare

A Wokingham family with multiple disabilities say they've "heard nothing at all so far. I'm desperate now." Lynne Antink, 71, and her 34-year-old son Colin were served a Section 21 no-fault eviction notice in late April and face being forced out on July 18.

Colin has terminal Addison's disease and kidney failure. Stress can trigger a life‑threatening adrenal crisis that needs an emergency injection within minutes and a category‑one ambulance response.

Their town-centre home is heavily adapted with a stairlift, walk-in shower and wheelchair access. Moving is risky: when the eviction letter arrived Colin collapsed and needed strong medication to stop adrenal collapse.

Lynne said: "We've got nowhere to go, so we can't go anywhere. It's like sitting on a time-bomb really. Everytime we start to pack we think 'this is our life – where's it going?'"

Wokingham Borough Council said it sympathises but warned it may have limited options to find Lynne and Colin a similar home quickly. Wokingham leader Stephen Conway said: "We always do what we can to help when anyone is made homeless or is in immediate danger of homelessness." He added: "But we can't stop evictions from properties owned by private landlords or even housing associations that are completely independent of the council."

Middlesex Housing Co-op, managed by Co-op Homes, says it plans to sell the property. Steven Wild said: "We know any such change in housing can cause uncertainty, and the decision... has not been taken lightly." He also said: "As a small not-for-profit provider... [we] have to carefully consider the best use of all their properties... The sale of Denton Road will provide... new co-operative housing developments in West London."

Mr Wild added: "We have been in regular phone, email and in-person contact... and will work with Wokingham Borough Council to ensure a suitable new property is identified."

Lynne says the family have had scam calls offering "non-existant flats", and that finding a suitable, adapted home will be extremely difficult as the eviction process continues.

On April 24, days before new tenant protections came into force on May 1, they were served the Section 21 notice. Lynne said: "I have to be out by July 18, and I haven't finished packing yet. They can't throw us out on a park bench, surely?"

Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter