Residents living in a block of flats say they feel 'ignored' by the housing association as there are a number of issues in the building that have been left unrepaired. People living at Jarrom Court in the city of Leicester say they are being forced to live in 'horrible conditions'.
One woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, says she has had to live with a broken toilet for longer than a year. And although she has complained multiple times - and a number of contractors have visited the flat - they have not fixed it.
Adding to her already distressing situation, the resident also lives with a condition that means she suffers from heavy and prolonged uterine bleeding. She has been forced to use her neighbour's loo, which she described as "dehumanising", Leicestershire Live reports.
The woman and her neighbours have also been raising concerns about a broken front door to her block of flats - the Dietrich Building - which has led to the fire service being called "almost weekly". People have been trapped inside and outside of the building due to the faulty door which instead of being fixed, has now been left unlocked and insecure, raising further security concerns.
"Anyone can walk into the building now and it makes us feel unsafe," the resident told LeicestershireLive. "We've had human faeces in the building, drug paraphernalia in the stairway - I've had to inform the police multiple times since I've lived here."
When reporting these matters to Platform, the resident who has lived in the building since 2010, said she was told "their hands are tied". She said: "They don't seem to care at all. Someone somewhere is getting very wealthy while we suffer. There are vulnerable people living here."
Residents say were recently left a note warning them to remove their doormats due to them being a "fire hazard" or risk getting a fine. Meanwhile, the broken door has been left unfixed which tenants believed constituted a fire risk.
A spokesperson for Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said: "There have been reports recently of a door to the premises becoming stuck. We have been liaising with the housing association and this matter has been addressed, as the repairs team have been to fix the issue."
However, residents say the door has been adjusted so it does not lock, rather than being fixed. Meanwhile, a barrier to the car park has also been broken since 2011, according to people living there. The barrier leaves parking spaces open to anybody, despite residents paying for them.
One man who lives in the same building told LeicestershireLive he used to work as an adviser to housing associations like Platform before he retired. He said he has attempted to call the helpline "numerous times" in the four years he has lived there with no action taken in response to his concerns.
"They are not just aggressively breaking their contracts, but they are breaking the Human Rights Act - I don't think they have a clue," the 64-year-old said. Referring to the broken door, he added: "Imagine what would have happened if there was a fire."
He added that other buildings in Jarrom Court also have ongoing problems with "police regularly present". Another unresolved problem is a large recycling bin that has "not been emptied for two years", he said.
"That has been reported as well and I was told by Platform to get in touch with the council myself to sort it out," he said. "Having worked in the industry, I have seen a change in culture with housing associations," he added. "There's a complete lack of care and they are moving to be more like a business than a body that is supposed to care about people."
LeicestershireLive contacted Platform regarding the matters raised. We asked how long residents should expect to wait for urgent repairs, what they are doing to address the numerous ongoing problems and whether the housing association believed it was fulfilling its duty of care to Jarrom Court residents.
Marion Duffy, chief operations officer at Platform Housing Group said: "We would like to acknowledge and apologise for the issues that have been brought to our attention in Jarrom Court. We would like to reassure our customers that we are looking into each of the issues raised and will be contacting customers directly to resolve them."
In response to fire safety concerns, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said: "It’s not uncommon for premises to only have one staircase to access and exit the building. It should be noted out that all other fire safety measures are working as they should and that the premises are inspected on a regular basis by the housing association.
"There are four blocks making up Jarrom Court and all have been inspected by LFRS fire safety inspectors in July 2021. We do encourage residents to report any fire safety concerns to us as these will be investigated."
