Trapped family sleeping in one bed with no heating or water in 'shell' of a home

11 November 2023 , 17:28

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A family of four had to sleep in one bed to keep warm after being left without heating in a "shell" of a house.

The property in Salford, Greater Manchester, needs "£20,000-worth" of improvements, but Nathaniel Finlay and his partner and children say they have been left in limbo due to delays in the work being completed.

The family moved into the housing association property in February 2020, but they say that within three months it was apparent there was a problem with damp. Nathaniel, 31, and his partner Natalie Riley, have been living in the house with their son, aged four, and seven-year-old daughter.

Trapped family sleeping in one bed with no heating or water in 'shell' of a home qhiqhhituiqdeinv

The family lived with no hot water, heating, or gas

Trapped family sleeping in one bed with no heating or water in 'shell' of a home

The boiler at the house in Salford was decommissioned

The housing association which owns the property insists that damp issues are not related to any historic issue but occurred more recently due to a leak. They estimate that the cost of the work done is £6,000.

Nathaniel said: "We have been living in a property for the last two and a half years with excessive mould and damp problems. We have two young children in the address with their room reading the highest for damp.

London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard

"It has taken two years for the work to start. With the work being described as extensive and a cost of around £20,000 to fix we were told we would not be able to live in the address and would be moved. However our request to be moved was refused and we were told we would have to live here while the work is being completed and they would do room by room."

The work commenced at the end of October. "Two days into the work it was like a bombsite, brick and dust everywhere and they moved us to a hotel because they decommissioned the boiler. We have been living day by day not knowing what is going on. It has been almost two weeks since we have been (moved) out of the house."

The family returned to the house this week from the Novotel at Worsley where they had been moved to, but the work was nowhere near finished they say. "We were in the property, with no heating, cooking facilities, no hot water, dust and dirt everywhere. Four of us slept in the same bed to keep warm. The housing association said they come out with electric heaters but no one came.

"They have finished plastering but the boiler has not been on and the plaster is still wet. There is no heating and no gas supply. I have made five complaints. I am at a loss. My kids had to wash in cold water, we had to take them out somewhere for breakfast. We are confined to one bedroom. All our clothing is bagged up because of the dust.

"We were moved to the Novotel and told you will be here for three days - then that was extended and extended to two weeks. The arrangement with the hotel has ended and we are expected to live in the house. It is freezing in this house as the boiler has been off since the end of October."

Nigel Sedman, Executive Director of Homes at ForHousing said: “We take the health and safety of our tenants very seriously, so we’re really sorry for the issues at Mr Finlay and Ms Riley’s home and we’re working hard to resolve these.

"Work on the property was due to start on 23rd October and last only a few days, however during the work we identified an old, concealed window hidden behind plaster, which was unsafe and meant the boiler had to be relocated within the property.

"Unfortunately, this unavoidable delay meant that the family was in temporary accommodation longer than anticipated and we apologise for this inconvenience. The repair works were completed on 9th November but it was identified there was a fault with the boiler, which has now been fixed.

"We have completed our planned post-work visit to address any issues and we will remain in constant contact with Mr Finlay and Ms Riley to make sure they are happy with the standard and safety of their home."

In a further statement ForHousing said: "The works are approximately £6,000. This damp issue is not related to any other damp issue historically. This issue came from a leak. When the plaster was taken down, they then found the concealed window which meant the boiler had to be moved."