Blames Catalyst Housing Association for failure to deal with issue

Michael Brady standing next to his bedroom wall where wallpaper has rotted and peeled off

A disabled man from West Acton forced to shield in a damp-ridden flat during the pandemic says he can only shower once a week after authorities failed to fix his plumbing.

Michael Brady, 57, who suffers from a bone disorder which affects his stature, cartilage and vision, says that using the shower causes water to leak from the bathroom into the rest of his flat.

Mr Brady, who has lived in the property for eight years, says the problems began in 2017, when water began leaking through the air vent in his bathroom.

He claims water soon began coming up through the floor of the bathroom after he told Catalyst Housing Association about the problem.

Any time the shower was turned on, water would leak into Mr Brady’s corridor, bedroom and living room.

“If I take a shower, the place gets really, really bad with water coming up through the floor, so I can only take a shower once a week,” Mr Brady said.

The damp caused by the leak has spread through the flat, causing black mould to grow and wallpaper to peel away from the walls in large swathes.

“The hall and bathroom went black halfway up the wall,” said Mr Brady. “The smell was awful.”

Handymen and engineers were sent by Catalyst to address the repairs, although Mr Brady alleges that to begin with a succession of electricians were sent instead of plumbers.

According to Mr Brady, many of the repairs were superficial, with one Catalyst contractor allegedly suggesting he paint over the mould in 2019.

Catalyst eventually sent a plumber to temporarily fix the bathroom leak, although it still prevents Mr Brady from showering more than once a week.

On account of his health conditions, Mr Brady was forced to shield in the flat during the pandemic, something which he says took a toll on his mental health.

“I have been going for operations, I have a rare bone disease and have to take loads of tablets for pain every day.

“It’s not doing my mental health any good.”

Recently, cracks have been appearing in walls throughout the property too. Mr Brady fears his flat is sinking, and wonders if which he it is related to the leaks he has been experiencing.

According to Mr Brady, Catalyst agreed to move him to a nearby property in 2020, with a tenancy agreement drawn up and packing boxes arriving in December of that year.

A spokesperson for Catalyst said: “The conditions in Mr Brady’s home are unacceptable and customers should never have to live with damp and mould.

“From the time the issues were raised, we have worked hard to resolve them and have been in constant communication with Mr Brady, ensuring we take in to account his personal circumstances.

“Rather than us being able fix the leak in his home straight away, we and Mr Brady both agreed he should move out of the property before repairs start, so he wouldn’t at any point have to live without a kitchen or bathroom.

“As a housing provider that exists to serve our customers and provide good quality affordable homes, we are sorry to hear Mr Brady feels we have let him down during this process.

“However, we strongly deny breaking our promises.

“Our team has worked hard to offer him numerous temporary accommodation options, six of which he refused for various reasons, sometimes at the last minute.

“In addition, we have had to reschedule repairs on several occasions because Mr Brady made additional requests that could not be met at short notice.

“Mr Brady has now accepted temporary accommodation in a home nearby and he has indicated he would like to view the property and move in next week.

“Once he has moved in with our help, we will fix the issues in his permanent home – this is expected to take six to eight weeks, including redecorations and a drying out period.”

Ealing Council have been approached for comment.

Lisa Haseldine - Local Democracy Reporter

January 21, 2022