With more than 1,000 homes currently lying empty across Dundee, a father working 70 hours a week to support six children is pleading for change.
The shocking extent of the city’s housing crisis was laid bare last month by Scottish Empty Homes Partnership which revealed 7,700 people were on a waiting list.
Afterwards, people came forward to speak to the Tele and Grant Gordon, 34, said he was “horrified” at the similarities of local families living in overcrowded and cramped conditions to his own.
Grant and his wife, Claire, are currently living in a three-bedroom flat in St Mary’s with their two-year-old triplets Olivia, Willow and Gracie alongside three older children.
The husband and wife team both work in the fast-food industry, whilst Grant works a further job working as a courier for a national delivery chain.
After discovering the joyous news that they were having triplets in 2017 the couple knew their property in St Boswells Terrace “wasn’t viable” to support their large family’s needs.
Like many across the city they have put themselves on every waiting list that was available to them, including Dundee City Council’s.
He added: “When I read the article last week I was horrified to read how similar these people’s stories were to our own.
“There will be hundreds across the city who will be in our situation, I have no doubt of that.
“I understand there is waiting list and I respected that but when I heard how many homes were empty I was gobsmacked.
“The condition of the flat we are living in at the moment isn’t great. There are issues with damp in the bathroom and the bedroom amongst other factors.
“Our triplets are getting older now but there is no way we can fit three beds into their bedroom given the size of it.
“Claire’s oldest is sleeping on a mattress on the floor at the moment. There is obviously a varying degree of ages there which adds its own challenges.”
Despite arranging a house-swap, with another three-bedroom Dundee City Council property over three months ago, Grant said the council “pulled the plug on the move”.
He added: “We found a property on Tweed Crescent, it was three double bedrooms which was ideal and would have improved our living standards drastically.
“The kitchen was bigger, the bathroom was bigger and it had a dining room, it was perfect. I informed the council we weren’t in any rent arrears and the other party were happy to swap.
“The council rejected the move citing that we were overcrowded, I explained that the rooms were far bigger in the Menzieshill property but they said it ‘wasn’t legal’.”
After the heartbreak of losing out on that property Grant admitted he wasn’t hopeful of any sort of resolution to his family’s plight next year.
He added: “Me and my wife both work and the way I’m seeing it here is that playing it down the middle and being legitimate gets you nothing.
“We realise the council can’t provide us with a mansion and we don’t expect that either.
“In the case of the Tweed Crescent property we had an opportunity to provide us with a better quality of life and they wouldn’t allow us to do it.
“With the current Covid-19 situation I realise things will have naturally slowed down but I realistically can’t see our situation getting any better in 2021.
“I’ve actually been down to the council on occasion nearly in tears trying to seek some sort of resolution to this problem.
“On the back of hearing there are over a 1,000 homes lying empty in Dundee I’m pleading with the council, Hillcrest and private landlords to make the most of the limited space that they’ve got.”
He added: “I’ve got a second job which I’m hoping will provide me with an opportunity to provide a deposit for my own home.
“I know with the size of our family, providing clothes and food will take priority, and its not going to be feasible to save a lot but that is our goal.”
A spokesman for Dundee City Council confirmed they were “reviewing” the situation on the number of vacant properties in Dundee.
He added: “We would encourage any applicant to contact our Letting Service to discuss their rehousing prospects which would include Mutual Exchanges.
“We work with owners of private property and landlords to try and prevent properties from becoming empty homes.
“We offer support and investment through grants for issues like security and serious disrepair.
“Where practical we will take steps to engage with specific owners where complaints are received about empty homes.
“We are currently reviewing our options on how to take our work on empty homes forward.”
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