Isle of Wight family's mobile home move amid housing crisis

But when you are living in just room, there's no chance to isolate to stop the spread.

Gemma Bull and Colin Booth, who have four children, have had their housing situation well-documented as a case study in the County Press amid the current rental and housing crisis.

As previously reported, the family were given just one room to live in after their landlord sold the flat they were renting.

They were recently 140th in the queue for a three-bedroom property on Homefinder — so they feel there is no prospect of ever getting there — and they can't find anything available privately.

• Read more: Island families could be offered mainland homes

The last few weeks of living in a single room have been a testing time, with all four children getting chickenpox, while having to share bathroom facilities with strangers.

Gemma, Colin and the eldest children also got Covid.

Colin, who works for the Isle of Wight Council, said: "There was nowhere to put the infected, nowhere for the poorly to rest in quiet, it was a health hazard. Everyone was having bad nights of sleep."

Amid this nightmare, the family got the welcome news that a mobile home had become available in Gurnard.

The mobile home the Booth family are currently living in.

They moved that same day, within hours, desperate to get out of the stuffy room they had reluctantly called home.

They now have two bedrooms — somewhere to put the children to bed at night and close the door — which they say will do them all good.

"It's a big relief," said Colin.

"We've got our own toilet and shower, it's weird how good it feels.

"Within days of moving here, we could see the difference in the children.

"They are all sleeping so much better, there's no noise from neighbours, they don't have to be taken down a corridor to go to the toilet. It's worlds apart."

Their previous one-room home, where they had to eat, live and sleep.

Of course, temporary mobile home living for a family of six is not ideal, and the family are hoping after a couple of months they find somewhere that feels more permanent.

"At the moment it feels like a bit of a holiday for the kids, but there's always that worry we could lose this place. There's uncertainty hanging over us.

"And we do need to be closer to the kids' school in Ventnor."

School is 14 miles away so the weekly school run, there and back twice a day, is 280 miles.

It means the fuel bill is sky high, and the family still have their furniture in storage at a cost of £280 per month, plus costs at the caravan park to provide temporary internet, laundry and utilities.

Colin said: "I don't know what our future holds but I know the housing situation is getting worse on the Island.

"There are really big issues coming in the next couple of years if it doesn't get sorted."

• Read more: No modular homes yet built by IW Council