Kim will soon be without a home just one of the 17,000 hit by house crisis

THIS is one face among more than 17,000 on social housing waiting lists in Worcestershire and Herefordshire as an accommodation crisis hits the two counties.

Kim Stone, aged 33, is a single mother-of-two who has been waiting for one of Worcester's 6,000 homes to become free for two years.

She now has just two weeks before she has to move out of her privately-rented home in Lower Wick, and she says she cannot afford anywhere else.

The Columbia Drive resident works at the former Kays catalogue warehouse in St John's, but her wages are not enough to pay rent and feed and clothe 13-year-old Teri and 11-year-old James properly.

According to a new report there are 17,796 families like her locally - all in the same desperate situation.

Ms Stone said: "I divorced my husband two years ago and since then have been lucky enough to afford to rent this property in Worcester, but the owner wants the house back on March 10 and I have not been able to find anywhere else I can afford.

"I am struggling as it is to pay the rent and keep the kids fed and clothed.

"I desperately need to find a home with one of the local housing associations.

"I have been on the council's waiting list for two years, but I never seem to get any closer to getting anywhere.

"Not enough affordable houses are being built and because house prices and rent prices are so high, people aren't moving on.

"But if somewhere isn't found soon, me and my two kids will be out on the streets - we have nowhere else to go."