No hot water ‘for weeks’ at hostel
DELAY LEAVES ROUGH SLEEPERS FEELING ‘DIRTY AND DEPRESSED’
A MAN living in a hostel for rough sleepers says residents have been left without hot water and effective heating “for weeks” after a boiler broke.
Turan Cekic, who has been a resident at Framework’s GH House hostel in Porchester Road since April, says he had been left feeling “dirty and depressed” after the boiler broke.
He first noticed a lack of hot water and heating on New Year’s Day.
The hostel provides supported accommodation for up to 15 people at a time, and while the charity says it immediately provided 21 heaters when the boiler went down, Mr Cekic says he has been left unable to properly wash himself.
Mr Cekic told the Post: “I have not had a shower for three weeks.
“I have been chasing it up since the New Year.
“It has been weeks now. They said they needed a part and I’ve just been told that they need a part again.
“There are 15 other people in this place. I’ve got a medical condition which causes cysts to grow on my head and I’ve been having operations every other week.
“I have got eczema. I have to keep clean. I’m a clean person anyway. I do not want to get infected. I just feel dirty and I feel depressed.
“I think this is disgusting and people need to know. It is snowing as we speak.”
GH House typically provides quick-access accommodation for rough sleepers and single people who might be at immediate risk of rough sleeping.
Framework says it is looking to get the issue sorted as soon as possible, but issues have arisen in terms of obtaining parts to repair the boiler.
A spokesman added: “Twentyone heaters were supplied when the boilers went down, and parts were ordered to get this rectified as soon as possible.
“There have been several conversations/emails with the contractor stressing the vulnerability of residents and the need to get this sorted ASAP. “The issue has been getting the parts as the supply chain for certain parts has been an issue for quite a while – no doubt closures over Christmas/ New Year made the situation more difficult.
“The team had been assured that the parts were in stock and the contractors attended yesterday. However, they then found a new fan was needed and Manchester was the only place where one was in stock so completion of the work was paused while it was delivered.”