A mum has been accused of staging a leak in her own home and drawing mould on the wall with a pen in an attempt to be re-housed.
Chan Simpson, a single parent, claims she “was made to feel stupid” after her housing association accused her of pouring water down her walls, after complaining about a leaking roof and mouldy walls since Christmas.
However, the housing association have rebuked this claim and insist they are “working closely and sympathetically” with Chan.
The young mum who moved into her home in May 2021, says her house is “freezing cold” as a result of water coming into the property and claims she’s been electrocuted twice.
According to Chan, an electrician inspected the Plymouth home before the shower “blew” which she says “goes to prove that water is getting into the sockets”
She told Plymouth Live : “We’ve got water coming down the walls, it’s freezing cold and we’ve got mould coming through in my little boy’s room.
“We first noticed it around Christmas time because my grandad and grandma stayed with us and when my grandad got out of bed he put his hand on one of the walls and it was soaking wet.”
An electrician allegedly accused Chan of “drawing” the mould on the wall of her son’s bedroom with a pen.
But Chan says the only action Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) has allegedly taken is to wipe the water away.
Carl Brazier, Director of Homes & Neighbourhoods said when PCH was first made aware of the issue alternative accommodation was arranged.
He said: “When we first became aware of the issues, we arranged alternative accommodation for Chantal and her son while we fully investigated the problems.
“Since then, we have carried out roof repairs and checked that the roof is not leaking, as well as adding extra insulation in the loft, all of which has remained dry.”
However, Chan claims after she contacted PCH a housing officer was sent out - but he was far from sympathetic to her situation and even accused her of “spraying” the water herself.
She said: “They (PCH) sent one of the housing officers out to have a look and he accused me of spraying the walls with water myself.
“My mum said, ‘who wakes up and thinks I’m going to water my walls today.’”
Chan says most walls in her flat have been impacted by the leak and the accusation made her feel “stupid and embarrassed”, as well as upset that PCH had thought she would do this herself.
Carl Brazier added: “Chantal’s home has been visited by electricians, repairs supervisors, senior housing officers and contractors who have confirmed that the insulation above the fittings and fuse board is also dry, so we are still trying to determine where the water is coming from.
“We are continuing to work with Chantal to find the cause of the problem, with our housing management and repairs teams having visited again early this week and we are committed to resolving the problem at the earliest opportunity.”
The PCH tenant says she believes the water entered a number of plug sockets making them unsafe, especially for a young child.
The current condition of the home has become so bad Chan and her son have decided to move into her parent’s house.
She said: “They’ve told me they will change the roof but they just won’t tell me when because it’s not an emergency.
“They don’t know where it’s coming from so that’s why they’re accusing me.
“It’s so wet we’ve had to come back to my mum and dad’s house.”
A spokesperson for Plymouth Community Homes, Carl Brazier, Director of Homes & Neighbourhoods said: “We have been working closely and sympathetically with Chantal and offering her support during this time so we can get to the bottom of the problems that she has been experiencing.
“When we first became aware of the issues, we arranged alternative accommodation for Chantal and her son while we fully investigated the problems.
“Since then, we have carried out roof repairs and checked that the roof is not leaking, as well as adding extra insulation in the loft, all of which has remained dry.
“Chantal’s home has been visited by electricians, repairs supervisors, senior housing officers and contractors who have confirmed that the insulation above the fittings and fuse board is also dry, so we are still trying to determine where the water is coming from.
“We are continuing to work with Chantal to find the cause of the problem, with our housing management and repairs teams having visited again early this week and we are committed to resolving the problem at the earliest opportunity.”
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