A 26-year-old mother and her two children are among 51 families, who have already been waiting up to eight months, to move into new homes.

The families have been caught up in wrangling between housing developer Genesis and their future landlord Poplar Harca housing association.

Samantha Sheekey and her daughters Emma, eight, and Sophi, four, were housed in temporary accommodation in Bow by Tower Hamlets Homeless two years ago after becoming homeless.

But they, along with other families, have been waiting since last September to move into a permanent home in a housing block under development in Limehouse.

Ms Sheekey said: “The whole block we live in is infested with mice and my kids won’t sleep at night. I’ve ordered new furniture and have had to put some in storage but can’t afford it.”

Genesis Homes, which is building Argent Court in Thomas Road, blames Poplar Harca for promising residents they could move in without all necessary negotiations being finalised.

But Poplar Harca says it was led to believe the block would be ready for tenants to move in last September and insists it would otherwise not have started advertising the homes.

Poplar Harca Project Director Karl Phillips said: “We understand this is a very frustrating time for residents waiting to move.

“We have been negotiating with Genesis for quite some time and agree the delays are unacceptable. We continue to do all we can to finalise this transfer so residents can move in as quickly as possible.”

A Genesis spokesman said it needs final approval from the Homes and Communities Agency, which funded the development, before it can be handed over to Poplar Harca.

The Genesis spokesman said: “We do sympathise with Ms Sheekey’s situation and we are working to resolve everything as quickly as possible.”