SINGLE pregnant women are not always given priority for housing in St Albans, the district council has admitted.

After reporting on the plight of Deonne Smith of Wheathampstead, still waiting for a flat when her daughter Riley was seven months old, the Review asked for figures to illustrate the depth of the problem in the district.

Head of housing Karen Dragovic said: “The housing waiting list is made up of anyone who has applied for housing and includes existing tenants who want a transfer and people who are currently occupying housing in the private sector.

"When someone applies to join the housing register, an assessment of their personal circumstances is made, including the suitability of their current accommodation.

"We try to use our limited resources as best we can by allocating housing accommodation according to an applicant’s housing need.

"The fact that an applicant is pregnant does not necessarily mean that the applicant is in housing need.

"Also, pregnancy is not a permanent state and we are reliant on applicants informing us of their condition.

"We do not therefore collate the number of housing applications we receive each year from pregnant women.

"Once a child is born this may affect an applicant’s need for housing, depending on their housing circumstances."