Resident Interviews
For home carer Pauline Desouza and her son Raldean, a new permanent home in Sim Heights has come has a huge relief.
After eight years in temporary accommodation in Brixton, the pair can at last breath easily in the safety and security of their modern two-bedroom flat.
“My God! It’s amazing”, says Pauline, 63. “Beautiful, beautiful”.
Raldean, an eighteen-year-old student with special needs, loves it, too – particularly as he can use Croydon’s great public transport links – bus, train and tram – to get to his college in Stockwell.
“It’s great that they gave me a ground floor flat for him”, says his mum. “Everything is really convenient, new and clean. Amazing. I just want him to be safe, safe, safe”.
Afghan national Ehsan Tajik has found safe haven in Sim Heights.
Ehsan, 25, has made a safe home in a studio flat where he lives quietly and simply – a far cry from years spent in local shared accommodation.
“I was born in Afghanistan but I lived for years in Iran – but I had to leave because you can only stay there for a limited period,” says Ehsan. “I didn’t want to go back to Afghanistan – it’s very stressful.”
Now he has formed a close circle of friends and enjoys cooking in the well-equipped modern kitchenette.
“This a great house. It’s clean and quiet. My friends come around and we cook together.
“The neighbours are friendly, it’s very quiet, and I can be on my own if I need to be”.
Spectacular views greet Jasiem Mills, 31, and his six-year-old daughter Lila from their top-floor two-bedroom home.
The pair moved in recently after two and a half years spent in a much smaller temporary flat and are clearly glorying in the clean modern home typical of Sim Heights.
Jasiem – who has just finished studying to develop his career in the security industry – is full of praise for the quality of the block’s construction, and of the fitting provided in all homes. “The people who run it are really good as well. I’ve had no problems, but when you call them, they respond really quickly,” he says.
“This is a perfect neighbourhood – there’s a school close by, shops are very close, so it’s very convenient.”
“They’ve chosen the residents well – no arguments, loud music. It’s really good.”
Cab driver Bilal Khogiani moved out of a temporary home in Thornton Heath a few weeks ago and is already singing the praises of his new Sim Heights studio.
“I’ll be honest, it’s a beautiful place. Compared to the flat I came from this flat is luxury. Better than I was expecting – and I appreciate it.
“The train gets me into London in half an hour. There’s a shopping centre down the road. And it’s very secure.
“I was brought up in Croydon – I went to school here, and college, I am at home here. Why would I want to live anywhere else?
“When I see someone I just give them a smile”.
Natasha Moulton’s journey to her spacious flat in Sim Heights began with a near tragedy.
Natasha had to be rescued from a former home at the top of a Croydon block when the building caught fire.
Luckily no-one was seriously injured, but Natasha – and her daughter Khalelah, now six, who was staying with relatives at the time of the emergency – have spent three years in a variety of temporary homes.
Natasha is massively relieved that her traumatic story has come to a happy ending. “I lived in three different hotels in six months with my very small child, then a small flat in disrepair.
“It’s so lovely to have a permanent home. My daughter loves it. Every day she comes home happy.
“This is so safe and secure, and I know all the fire regulations have been obeyed, which is reassuring!
“They maintain the building very well. Someone is always Hoovering and keeping the grounds clean. The building management itself is fabulous.”
