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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Lisa Haseldine & Antony Thrower

Disabled man forced to shield in damp-ridden flat 'can only shower once a week'

A disabled man says he can only shower once a week as water leaks from his bathroom into the rest of his flat.

Michael Brady, 57, says the issue started in 2017 when excess water leaked from an air vent into his bedroom.

The issue soon worsened however as any time the shower was turned on water leaked into his corridor, bedroom and living room, causing damp to spread through his flat.

Handymen and engineers were sent by Catalyst Housing Association before a plumber arrived, but Mr Brady says he can still only shower once a week, MyLondon reports.

He said: “If I take a shower, the place gets really, really bad with water coming up through the floor, so I can only take a shower once a week.

“The hall and bathroom went black halfway up the wall, the smell was awful.

“I have been going for operations, I have a rare bone disease and have to take loads of tablets for pain every day. It’s not doing my mental health any good.”

The water has damaged the walls in My Brady's flat (MyLondon WS)

According to Mr Brady, Catalyst agreed to move him to a nearby property in 2020, with a tenancy agreement drawn up and packing boxes arriving in December of that year.

However, the moving date has been pushed back numerous times and Mr Brady is still waiting to be rehomed.

A spokesperson for Catalyst said: “The conditions in Mr Brady’s home are unacceptable and customers should never have to live with damp and mould.

"From the time the issues were raised, we have worked hard to resolve them and have been in constant communication with Mr Brady, ensuring we take in to account his personal circumstances.

“Rather than us being able fix the leak in his home straight away, we and Mr Brady both agreed he should move out of the property before repairs start, so he wouldn’t at any point have to live without a kitchen or bathroom.

"As a housing provider that exists to serve our customers and provide good quality affordable homes, we are sorry to hear Mr Brady feels we have let him down during this process.

"However, we strongly deny breaking our promises.

“Mr Brady has now accepted temporary accommodation in a home nearby and he has indicated he would like to view the property and move in next week.

"Once he has moved in with our help, we will fix the issues in his permanent home – this is expected to take six to eight weeks, including redecorations and a drying out period.”

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