A mother in Beckenham has launched a petition against ‘housing neglect’, after her baby has been regularly bitten by bed bugs, writes Louisa Woolf…
The change.org petition is rapidly gaining momentum, with over 37,000 signatures.
Antonia Wall and her partner, Rafael Oliveira Freitas have told of dire living conditions in their flat, including a bed bug infestation, which bite their one-year-old son, Zion, in the night. She said: “I’m scared to sleep because of the bed bugs going on him. He’s got sensitive skin, he gets such swollen bites, it’s horrible.”
The twenty-four-year-old has lived in the studio flat, which is managed by the housing provider Southern Housing, since March 2022. Ms Wall claims she has been dealing with bed bugs since July 2023, despite previous attempts to remove them because Southern Housing has “failed to treat it as a communal issue” despite “every single resident here having a bed bug infestation in their home”.
The bed bugs are not the only issue, the young family have also reported a mice problem, and mould spreading across the ceiling. The communal areas are “so filthy they feel dangerous,” she said.
She also alleged that her flat, which is one of seven in the building, had no hot water in the kitchen for over a year, despite persistently reporting the problem, until it was fixed last week.
Up until then, the family washed dishes with the shower or by boiling water on the hob.
She began the petition to call out the poor conditions in which she lives and highlight what she claims is Southern Housing’s mismanagement of their properties, which she described as “abandonment”.
“This isn’t just about bad housing,” she said. “It’s about neglect that seeps into every corner of your life. About being treated like you’re invisible — even when you’re crying out for help.”
The petition, which received 30,000 signatures in its first week, calls for a full investigation into housing associations working with Bromley Council, accountability for those “violating housing and care regulations”, and “a real reform of supported housing so it actually supports people”.
Ms Wall explained that she has received messages of solidarity since launching the petition which has ”skyrocketed” because “so many people can relate to it.”
Bromley Council said they are aware of the complaints raised, and that Southern Housing, the housing provider responsible for Ms Wall’s flat, are addressing those complaints.
A council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the difficult circumstances involved here and the residents are included, with a high priority, on our housing register.
“Unfortunately due to the unprecedented challenges being faced across London in obtaining the required housing for residents who need it, it is difficult to secure alternative housing at pace.”
A representative from Ms Wall’s housing provider, Southern Housing, said: “We’re extremely sorry about the issues Ms Wall has faced within her home and we’re committed to making things right.
“Hot water and heating has been restored to Ms Wall’s home after our contractor visited last week. There had been miscommunication around attendance dates and we apologise for the delay.
“Pest control treatment was carried out in November 2024 and Ms Wall’s home was clear of bed bugs and mice on 3 January 2025. We immediately arranged for our pest control contractor to re-attend following reports the problem had returned.
“They visited the building to carry out treatment on April 15, May 6 and are due back June 3 to complete this treatment. Southern Housing will cover the full cost of these visits.
“We’d received no reports of mould from Ms Wall, however, our team have reached out for further information and explained the actions being taken to resolve the issues raised.
“We take reports of damp and mould extremely seriously and our specialist team can work together with Ms Wall to successfully tackle any issues found.
“If any resident in the block has any repair issues, we’d urge them to contact us straight away. We’ve arranged to inspect the communal areas in the building and will look to increase the number of times our cleaners are visiting.
“The housing waiting list is managed by the local authority, however, we’ll continue to support Ms Wall with her request to move home and the other issues she’s raised.”
