Colin Booth's story has been previously documented by the County Press, after his family of six were given notice by their landlord and they couldn't find anywhere else to live.

It's a story currently being lived by hundreds of Island families - 2,465 people at the end of June were in the same position.

Here Colin gives an update on his family's situation.

"In March, 2022, we found out that our home was being sold, and set out to find a new one. A family of six set adrift.

"Two months later we were homeless as we couldn't find anything. Then the real stress started. This is our story." 

"The cost of moving home is incredible. You have removal men, van rental, bills to pay, contracts to pay up, fuel, and time.

"For us we had nowhere to go, and when we found ourselves in Yarborough House in Sandown, squashed into one room, we had already spent much more than £1,000 to be homeless.

• Read more: Family of six's homeless story
• Read more: Family of six living in just one room

"Storage for our belongings was the biggest cost, but there was also the new day-to-day living premium that comes with not having anywhere to store food in any kind of abundance.

"We bought a sofabed, as I'd been sleeping on a bare floor. A tiny freezer above a small fridge eventually gave way to a larger fridge freezer, one with some space but no storage for dry goods etc. The price of single room living as a family of six.

The one-room living accommodation first offered to the Booth family. (Image: Colin Booth) 

"That part of our journey has been documented so I'll move on to the next chapter.

"We found ourselves moved to a caravan. We bought a counter top fridge for extra food space, another fan because of the heat, and the costs kept adding up.

• Read more: Homeless family's new caravan home

"Shopping every day for food and eating fresh cost us £1,000 a month. Most of the other families there were in a similar situation. There's nothing to do, no facilities, the caravan leaked when it rained (we were told "all caravans do"), the carpet wasn't fixed down, the fridge froze food and the freezer didn't.

"We felt any issues we had fell on deaf ears, although we did get a replacement freezer after a few weeks.

"The kids, however, loved being in the caravan. They saw the fun in it all, and we kept the hardships hidden.

The mobile home Colin's family lived in for a while. (Image: Colin Booth)

"We were told in mid October that there was a two bedroom flat for us, which we could not turn down (otherwise we would be making ourselves intentionally homeless and wouldn't get any further help).

"Now we have moved into a block of flats in Newport, and for the first time in all this saga I cannot hold back the tears - the place is a disgusting mess and the whole building smells of drugs. It has finally broken me.

"The costs continue. £18 on plugs for the sinks and bath, cleaning materials due to the filth, there's no oven or any wiring for one so we'll need an electrician, and there's no curtains so we'll need all that too.

Colin's kitchen in the new flat was dirty, he said. (Image: Colin Booth)

"There's no place for the sofa bed so that was £230 wasted just for three weeks' use.

"We have our own fridge freezer back, so the countertop fridge isn't needed, another £150 wasted.

"There's no point in getting internet as all the contracts are 24 months, and we may not be here that long.

"Soon, we'll be moved again, as this flat isn't suitable for us. The only entry is up a slippy metal stairway and our autistic son has already almost fallen over twice. The light doesn't work outside so at night it is pitch black out there. 

"There'll be more costs coming if our appeal is successful - another removal and trips to our storage in Yarmouth to get what we can fit back, and put back what we can't.

The school-to-home transport will end in February and then we'll have to fight to keep our kids in their school, with their friends. 

"Every place we've been put is depressing and uncared for, in conditions private rentals wouldn't touch.

"The system is broken and drowning and our council have teaspoons to bail out the water. Shouting louder or pleading your case does nothing. 

"Through it all we've seen lovely families in awful places, people playing the system for their own gain, families in what we would consider a dream home complaining about their lot.

"There's no current hope for us to re-enter the private rental market. Three bedroom homes are more than I earn per month.

"Social housing is a decade away from us. Any money we could've saved in the past six months has been spent buying things for the short term, and on ever more expensive food shopping.

"The bottom line is that the facilities available to the most vulnerable are inadequate, there's no light on the horizon, and things will undoubtedly get a lot worse right under our noses."