Damp, faulty lifts and fly-tipping blight block of flats managed by Clarion Housing Association, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter
A Tottenham tenant is calling on her housing association to tackle “nightmare” damp in her home after struggling with the issue for over a year.
Elizabeth Woolley is the leaseholder of the “nightmare” flat in The Roundway, a six-story block in Tottenham, where she has lived for the last five years with her husband.
Not long after moving into the property the couple soon began seeing problems with the building’s lift, which broke down “once a week”, as well as fly-tipping.
Elizabeth said: “If it’s not the lift it’s other stuff, for example someone dumped a sofa down by the lift.
“The lift goes out of service very often and it traps my husband up there and then about a year ago all the issues with the damp started.”
Elizabeth and her husband live on the third floor of the six-storey building, which has one lift. Both have health issues, with Elizabeth’s husband being registered blind and only able to walk with the aid of a walker.
“Clarion has totally dismissed me,” Elizabeth said. “I’ve had to keep ringing them up to address these issues.”
About a year ago the couple started seeing damp in the entryway to their home, the hallways, and in the bathroom.
Clarion did eventually do work to the couple’s bathroom but the issue is still prevalent, according to Elizabeth.
She added the service charge increased “every year”, costing the couple about “£140 every month” and Clarion hadn’t offered any compensation.
“They don’t care,” she said.
Explaining the impact of the lift, which can sometimes be out for hours, Elizabeth said: “I can’t carry anything heavy, I try and get a friend to carry my shopping when the lift doesn’t work, or I just have to wait till it starts again.”
In response to these issues a Clarion spokesperson said: “We absolutely recognise the impact these issues have had on the homeowner and we want to provide reassurance that we take them extremely seriously and have been working hard to resolve them.
“While we have provided a very responsive service at The Roundway, attending to lift and fly tipping issues the same day they are reported, we are committed to finding long-term solutions and making sure residents are comfortable in their home.”
Elizabeth said the problems became so severe she contacted Haringey Council for assistance and help finding alternative housing, however she said after an initial assessment the council had deemed her home “adequate”.
In response, Sarah Williams, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing and planning, said: “We have received a request for sheltered housing from the family, which is being carefully considered.
“I am sorry to hear about the concerns with the accommodation provided by Clarion, particularly given the health issues faced by the couple.
“If they are unhappy with the response to their complaints about repairs from Clarion, cases can be escalated to the Housing Ombudsman, who is tasked with investigating and determining the outcome impartially.”
Clarion added that as well as committing to “resolving” the fault with the lift that the local housing team would be “reaching out” to Elizabeth to check if there was “any further support” to offer.
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