A single, working dad is currently homeless after being offered “diabolical” accommodation by Lewisham Council.
The dad, who has three young daughters, was offered a flat by Lewisham Council but was appalled after visiting to see the conditions of the home.
He claims that to reach the entrance to the flat, occupants had to go through a scrap yard where he saw needles outside, a burnt-out car, rats and rubbish everywhere.
The property has two entrances, but as it is below a chicken shop, when the business is open, he says he was told by the estate agent that this entrance was closed off.
This meant that he and his young daughters would have to walk through the scrap yard every time they needed to enter the property.
He said: “My littlest daughter is four-years-old.
“How do they expect a lorry driver coming onto the scrap yard to see her?
“It was crazy and then it just it just got worse and worse.
“There's no light, there was all loose carpet on the stairs, all the fuse boxes were open, there were loose wires.
“It’s a death trap waiting to happen. It was unbelievable.”
The following day, he claims that Lewisham Council contacted him to ask why he had not accepted the property and that if he did not take the keys he would be made homeless.
However, the man stood his ground and told the council that he did not think the property was safe.
He claims the council then told him that it’s “perfectly fine” and even after he sent photos he had taken of the space, they told him that “it looks okay”.
As a result, he insisted that someone from the council meet him at the flat so they could inspect it together.
He claims the council worker was “absolutely shocked” that families had been offered this property.
Since then, Lewisham Council has outlined that it is facing an “acute housing crisis” much like other London boroughs and it is therefore challenging to find temporary accommodation.
Due to the “emergency nature of temporary accommodation bookings”, the council has said that it is not always possible for someone to inspect the properties in person before they are offered to residents.
The council added that it is currently supporting over 2,900 families and individuals with temporary housing and there are 11,000 households on the housing register waiting for permanent homes.
Despite this, the council has apologised that this accommodation was offered to him and his family as it “did not meet acceptable standards”.
His problems did not end here, as the next property he was offered was in Croydon.
He added: “It was, again, impossible for me.
“The children go to school in the Lewisham borough.
“It would have been two hours getting there daily like it's totally not viable.
“I've got no one. If we moved there I’d have to pull them out of school and they would lose their support network.
“I would have to give up my job to do school runs because I don't know anyone in Croydon willing to help me out.
“So that was that was totally unviable.”
While he was shown a property in Hither Green which was safe and in an ideal location, the spot was withdrawn from him and he says he was not given a reason, despite having filled out the correct paperwork.
Since then, he said that all the places he has been offered by the council to live are either too far away from his daughters’ school or unsafe.
He described the treatment he has received from Lewisham Council as “diabolical” and that every time he gets through to someone new, they know nothing about his family situation or requirements in a property.
However, Lewisham Council has told the News Shopper that the dad has now accepted accommodation from them.
A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: “The council does carry out a desktop health and safety check and, on this occasion, we did visit the property after his complaint.
“In this case we are sorry that the accommodation initially offered to him did not meet acceptable standards.
“The Council however does have an inspection programme within the service that focuses on the inspections for nightly paid accommodation with tenants in situ.
“We will be meeting with the accommodation provider and will not offer this accommodation until areas of concern are resolved.
“We are striving to improve the standards of temporary accommodation in the borough and continue building new homes as well as buying and refurbishing homes.”
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