A woman in Devon who has been searching for social housing since being told to leave her rental property says she has "gone beyond desperation".
Susan Musselwhite, from Paignton, is visually impaired and has other complex health needs. She was given notice to leave her rental property in 2023 because her landlord plans to demolish it.
Figures obtained under a Freedom of Information request to councils in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset showed that as of February 2026 more than 60,000 households were on the social housing register.
Musselwhite said: "I feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall."
"I have been number one on the list a few times but never get a property," she said.
The 47-year-old, who has autoimmune and neurological conditions, said her current property had accessibility issues and no central heating.
"In the winter, I have two dehumidifiers going 24/7 otherwise the black mould is climbing up the walls and there's condensation running down the walls," she said.
"I rarely leave the property because of my ill health but I leave even less than I was because it is so unsafe to get in and out of, and I feel really isolated."
Musselwhite first applied for social housing under Torbay Council in October 2023. She said the council filed her form incorrectly at the time and her case never progressed.
When her landlord took an eviction case to court and the case was put on hold, she said Torbay Council advised her to stay living in the property until she found somewhere else to live.
The council has since backdated her homeless status to October 2023, and she has been on the social housing register since January 2026.
In March 2026, she said she "couldn't contain her excitement" after being offered a bungalow in Ashburton. However, she lost the property because she did not meet Teign Housing's policy of having a local connection in the area for five years.
"My sister is a local connection, she's under Teign Housing and is my carer, but because she had only lived there two years, I lost the property," she said.
"I was devastated and thought, 'Here we go again'."
Torbay Council said it recognised "housing difficulties and the threat of homelessness can be extremely stressful, particularly for people with additional health or support needs".
A spokesperson said the council was reviewing the circumstances of Musselwhite's case and "providing advice and assistance in line with housing legislation and local allocation policies", but added decisions were made "in accordance with the relevant housing association's policies and eligibility criteria".
"Where a resident approaches the council for housing assistance, we assess their circumstances in accordance with our statutory duties and work with them to explore all available housing options," they continued.
Devon Woman Says Social Housing Search ‘Gone Beyond Desperation’