Disabled couple sleeping on mattress on friends' floor after 'fleeing mouldy house'
A disabled couple said they are sleeping on the floor of their friends' home after fleeing their former 'mouldy' flat. Mike Farrell, 46, and his partner Carol Long, 50, claim they have been living with friends in a 'tiny one bedroom' flat for a year.
Mike and Carol previously lived on Bower Grove in Seaforth in a small flat owned by One Vision Housing. But in October 2023 the couple moved out after complaining of mould and damp, which Carol said left her with “chest infection after chest infection".
After moving out the couple went to live with their friends Gavin James and Yvonne Roberts, in Litherland, in their flat, also owned by One Vision Housing.
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A spokesperson for One Vision Housing previously told the ECHO how "the health and wellbeing of our tenant and colleagues remains a top priority, as we are committed to providing quality and affordable homes that are safe, well managed and maintained to a high standard.”
However Mike, who suffered a brain injury when he was three and a further accident when he was 21 which left one side of his body permanently damaged, claims their friends' flat is now experiencing similar issues with damp and mould.
He said: "Carol and I sleep on a mattress in the bedroom and Gavin and Yvonne sleep on the bed, and we're all in one room in one flat. We've had mould and damp in the property. We got it sorted out once, but it's all coming back. But the last time we heard from Gavin and Yvonne's housing officer was before Christmas. Since then, he hasn't been out."
Mike claims there has been evidence of mice in the flat "mould and damp in the bathroom" and "pipes coming out of the walls". He added: "We haven't got the money in the kitty. Basically it's a poorly maintained flat that needs sorting out." He claims they had made several complaints to One Vision, but the alleged issues have not been sorted.
All four adults are disabled and unable to work and are supported by Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and do not have family members looking after them, Mike said.
He added: "Carol is my carer, Yvonne looks after Gavin, and Gavin looks after Yvonne," he said, adding: "Mentally and emotionally, we're doing pretty bad. It feels like we're just being left." Carol added: "It's affecting me terribly. I feel all shook up. Every day I just feel depressed and it feels like I'm getting no help with it."
The couple are currently without a tenancy, as the lease on their previous property in Seaforth ran out around the time they moved in with their friends in October 2023. Speaking to the ECHO one month prior, Carol said she felt she had been “left to rot” by One Vision after black mould and “damp” appeared in her bedroom and bathroom.
A One Vision spokesperson said at the time: “Our colleagues and partner agencies will continue attempts in gaining safe and immediate access to provide a resolution and to support the tenant in effectively managing their tenancy. The health and wellbeing of our tenant and colleagues remains a top priority, as we are committed to providing quality and affordable homes that are safe, well managed and maintained to a high standard.”
Following the further alleged complaints made by the residents with regards to the property in Litherland, One Vision Housing was approached for comment but did not reply to the ECHO's request for comment ahead of publication.