'Petrified' mum 'in A&E all the time' with sick kids 'due to nightmare house'
A worried mum is having to constantly take her children to A&E with health problems she believes are caused by her nightmare home.
Kia Ratcliffe moved in in August 2021 and claims she immediately logged a complaint with housing association Jigsaw - before more problems were flagged.
But she says nothing has ever been done to fix things, leaving her family to put up with holes in the roof, the smell of dog urine from a previous tenant, broken floor boards, damp and a rotten bath panel.
However, Jigsaw is adamant "works are already underway" to remedy the problems.
Kia, from Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, says she is having to take her kids to both A&E or a walk-in centre due to them getting "really bad chest infections".
London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard
She believes their ailments are down to the state of the property.
The home is riddled with mould (Men Media)
A broken floor board (Men Media)The mum told the Manchester Evening News: "I am in hospital all the time taking my kids to A&E or the walk-in centre.
"It’s because they are getting really bad chest infections.
"We had to take my daughter to A&E twice in a weekend, she needed steroids, antibiotics and an inhaler.
"We left for a week then, but we had to come back. That was just before Christmas. I do not want my children to be seriously ill.”
Kia said she's been reporting the problems since August 2021 (Men Media)
Jigsaw claims work is already underway to fix the issues (Men Media)She went on to say that, while she cleans the mould whenever she spots it coming through — it hasn’t stopped it rotting the bath.
One source of water comes from the roof, which has several holes in it. That water ingress has also translated into a leak into the living room, on the ground floor.
“With the weather, if it starts to rain the floorboards upstairs soak it up,” Kia explained.
“If the ceiling collapses, it’s on them. I’ve reported it for several months.
“One [contractor] said to me to call back when it rains again. [They] said the ceiling has started to bow because of the water it’s holding.”
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Overall, Kia feels it should not take these extreme issues to happen before the problems are fixed.
She added: “I do not understand why they don’t want to keep it in a fit state.”
In response to Kia’s concerns and her claims that the condition of her home is causing her children's health problems, a spokesperson for Jigsaw Homes Group said: “We are aware of the ongoing issues with our tenant's home on Albemarle Street and understand the upset this has caused to the family.
"Looking after our homes is our priority and we always try to work with our residents in co-operation to make sure repairs are undertaken on time.
“We were ready to start the works on this family's home since 2022 but unfortunately, we have repeatedly struggled to gain access to carry out inspections and much needed repairs.
"This has led to the property condition deteriorating.
"We are pleased to report that works are already under way, with a roof renewal taking place later this week, and we look forward to working with our tenant to complete the repairs to her home."
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