A ‘petrified’ mum says she’s had to take her two children to A&E and the walk-in centre multiple times and she believes it's down to the shocking condition of her house.
Kia Ratcliffe, from Ashton-under-Lyne, moved into her home in August 2021 and claims she first logged a complaint with her housing association, Jigsaw, ‘the day I moved in’. She’s added that the problems are still not fixed.
In a multitude of reported issues, Kia says that her family are putting up with holes in the roof, the smell of dog urine from a previous tenant, broken floor boards, damp, and a rotten bath panel. Jigsaw says ‘works are already under way’ to remedy the woes.
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“I am in hospital all the time taking my kids to A&E or the walk-in centre,” Kia told the Manchester Evening News. “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 believes these chest infections are related to the state of her home. 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.”
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."
