Homeless couple, 43 and 57, expecting baby were forced to live on a bed on a roundabout because they don't have a passport
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A homeless couple who are expecting a baby were forced to live in a bed next to a busy roundabout as one of them does not have a passport.
Ladislav Boldezersky, 56, and his partner Nada Venglarova, 43, who is five months pregnant, were sleeping on a divan bed next to a busy roundabout near the centre of Cardiff for over a month.
Their temporary shelter under the A4234 Central Link flyover also featured a bedside cabinet which they used to store a cooking pot and bottles of milk and water.
The couple, who are from Czechia, were kicked out of a nearby hostel after it emerged that Nada does not have a passport.
But despite being given a temporary place to stay, Ladislav, who has contemplated suicide due to his and his partner's living arrangements, still fears they may be homeless when their baby arrives.
Ladislav Boldezersky, 56, and his partner Nada Venglarova, 43, who is five months pregnant, were forced to live in a bed next to a busy roundabout
The couple had been sleeping on a divan bed next to a busy roundabout near the centre of Cardiff for over a month after being kicked out of a hostel
The roundabout under the A4234 Central Link flyover where Ladislav and Nada were forced to stay for one and a half months
Ladislav and Nada have been together for five years. They lived next to the roundabout, between Tyndall Street and East Tyndall Street, for a month-and-a-half after leaving Cardiff Council's nearby Ty Ephraim hostel.
Ladislav told Wales Online they had to leave the hostel because Nada does not have a passport.
Later, after speaking to Cardiff Council, the couple were told Ladislav can access homelessness services but Nada is not eligible because she has no right to reside in the UK.
It is understood Nada had previously been allowed to stay in the hostel for two years because accommodation was available for everyone during the Covid pandemic.
But around six weeks ago she was told to leave. Although Ladislav was allowed to keep his place in Ty Ephraim his partner was not so they both left.
When informed Nada is pregnant, a council spokesman said the authority was hitherto unaware of this.
Within two hours, the spokesman said the council would allow the couple to stay together in Ladislav's room in Ty Ephraim and that an outreach team would move their possessions back in.
Their situation will be allowed as an 'exceptional circumstance' while Nada gets support from a charity to apply for citizenship. She will be allowed to stay at the hostel 'until the application is progressed'.
Ladislav, pointing to a statuette of the Virgin Mary, said: 'This is Maria. The only thing I ask from God is food for Nada and me.'
The roundabout, pictured, where Ladislav and Nada lived near for one and a half months
Although the language barrier made detailed conversation difficult, Ladislav's despondency was clear.
He said he has been living in Cardiff for 20 years and was a chef at a Pakistani restaurant on City Road until 10 years ago when the business was sold. He has not worked since.
His alcohol use became a problem after he lost his job and the dependency then worsened due to severe back pain. Ladislav, who struggles to walk, recently lost his wheelchair and has been relying on Nada's help to get around.
He says he has been waiting two years for a back operation and has at times contemplated suicide.
But he adds that these thoughts do not last because he knows his partner and unborn child need him. Ladislav said: 'That's why I am still here.'
Ladislav explained he is on various medications for his severe depression though he sometimes struggles to 'understand what tablets I should be taking'.
His GP wrote a letter to Ty Ephraim hostel on July 1 which reads: 'I have been asked by Mr Boldezersky to write a letter explaining that he has a background history of significant depression and anxiety for which he takes regular medication.
'He feels his current living arrangements are having a profound effect on his mental health and feels that more stable accommodation would benefit him greatly.
'He fears that if the situation does not improve then his mental health will continue to deteriorate.'
The couple's temporary shelter under the A4234 Central Link flyover also featured a bedside cabinet which they used to store a cooking pot and bottles of milk and water
They lived next to the roundabout after leaving Cardiff Council's nearby Ty Ephraim hostel
On the pavement near the couple's divan bed is a mattress, which Ladislav said another homeless person sleeps on. They are friends with that person but there have been tensions with other members of the community.
Ladislav said the couple have been fearing for their safety due to an argument with some of those people. The tensions have led to people turning up daily and 'causing trouble' for the couple, he added.
Ladislav said: 'We are going to try to get a passport for Nada. We are worried about what will happen if we are still homeless when the child is born.
'We might have to leave Wales. There are no jobs, no money, no support. For my baby I am worried.'
Last month it was reported that 858 people had presented as homeless in Cardiff since January. Separately, 596 people said they were at risk of becoming homeless during the same period.
Among the most common reasons for homelessness or potential homelessness were violent relationship breakdown or loss of rented accommodation.
Reacting to the figures Robin White, of Shelter Cymru, said: 'We need to take action in the short, medium, and long term including ending no-fault evictions to provide security of tenure, lobbying the Westminster Government to ensure the welfare system is fit for purpose in homelessness prevention and that Local Housing Allowance is set at a level that truly reflects rents, and ultimately an increase in the supply of genuinely affordable social homes without which there is no route to ending the housing emergency we face today in Wales.'
For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support
