HOUSE OF HORRORS
Medically vulnerable gran says housing assoc home was mouldy and in disrepair
AGRANDMOTHER with serious health issues has criticised the “unlivable” conditions of her housing association property.
Annette Jones says moving to a more accessible property on Toronnen in Bangor was supposed to improve her quality of life but has instead become a “nightmare.”
The 64-year-old, who has a number of health issues including a chronic lung condition, says the “horrific” state of the bungalow has worsened her health.
Annette was handed the keys to the North Wales Housing Association (NWHA) property the week before last and says she was looking forward to moving in.
However, she says her excitement was short-lived after discovering the “shocking” state of the property.
Annette claims there is mould, unfinished flooring and peeling walls throughout.
She said: “We walked in and there was mould all over the walls and dirt everywhere. It was in an awful state.
“When I came to view it, the people from the housing association told me to look past the state it was in because everything would be dealt with.
“They said it would all be cleaned and all the maintenance work would be done before I moved in, so it was a massive shock to see it like that. It was awful.”
Annette claims the issues have affected both her physical and mental health.
She said: “I’ve got COPD and I’m waiting for a hip operation. I only accepted this property because it’s flat and I can move around.
“But since being here I’ve got an awful cough from the mould and I couldn’t even move yesterday, my whole body was shaking. It’s just so stressful.
“To be honest, I’m not coping. I can’t take any more of this.”
Annette’s daughter, Ceri, says the state of the property is affecting the whole family.
She said: “My mum’s had to move because of ill health, but if anything this has made things worse.
“She’s been getting migraines because of the stress and she’s absolutely exhausted.
“It’s actually shocking the conditions they expected someone of that age to move into, and they know she was moving there because of ill health and she’s medically vulnerable.
“I’ve had to take a week off work to help my mum clean it and paint it just to make it liveable.
“I even had to call myself an ambulance the other day because I started having an asthma attack from scraping the walls and the paint fumes. It’s just a nightmare.”
Ceri claims she has been trying to contact NWHA since they collected the keys a week last Monday but hasn’t been able to get the issues resolved.
She said: “I’m spending all day sending emails and making phone calls but we just keep getting passed around in circles, with everyone saying it’s someone else we need to speak to.
“I’ve asked people to come here to see the property but that didn’t happen. They’ve said they’ll look into it but no one gets back to me.”
She continued: “They should never let properties out like this in the first place, it’s not right.
“What about the people that don’t have families to help them, what are they supposed to do?”
Ruth Lanham-wright, NWHA’S assistant director for homes said: “North Wales Housing have responded to any reasonable concerns raised by the tenant.
“We have carried out necessary repairs to the property, ready to be decorated by the tenant.
“We have provided decorative vouchers to Ms Jones and extended the moving-in period.
“We will continue to communicate with Ms Jones and any concerns she may have.”