To just walk out my council house.

[CoconutSky]

I hate despise this flat.
I’ve ended up in an adapted property with a wet room.
It’s riddled with damp because of the wet room, I’ve spent thousands on painting and decorating, carpeting when I moved in to make it nice. I fled DV, after less than 2 years it’s all had to come up and be replaced.
Wet room is being “repaired” but I don’t hold much hope.
I’ve no worktops, 4 kitchen cupboards and no space whatsoever and I’ve just had enough. I only realised the further adaptations when comparing my flat to my neighbours and I just feel like walking out. Communal hallway also stinks of cigarettes which comes into my home, HA are aware and have done nothing but send letters out. Despite it being a communal hallway an inspectors also said that the other tenants are okay to smoke cigarettes as it’s not illegal. It might not be illegal but I can’t open my windows cos it comes in all the bedrooms. DD’s stinks so bad of fags she’s in with me and that’s with the window closed.

Im so miserable, the wet room stinks, my shoes and bags have always got mould in. Im on the mutual exchange but no one wants flats and I can’t get a managed move, property is 2 beds and I’m “adequately housed”
I even asked if the housing association had a special register for adapted properties but they don’t.
I can’t afford private rented and wouldn’t pass a credit check due to my ex getting me in debt.

I don’t know what to do, I’m sick of phoning the housing association, sick of being upset and seeing plaster and paint just fall off the wall. I’m at my wits end and I feel like I’m trapped in this place.

They will not let me move into a one bedroom property.
My GP doesn’t do letters to support house moves which even the HA found strange but they wont
I could try MP again.
I have a dehumidifier and I heat the property adequately.

I've been trying to think how to word this without sounding harsh and I'm still not sure I've managed it but I genuinely don't mean it in an unkind way.

You've followed all of the proper channels with no success. Every suggestion here has been dismissed or you're already doing it.

You're either going to have to try the nuclear option of the press and public shaming the bastards or find a way to live with the situation.

I personally think that living with the situation sounds untenable so there's only realistically the nuclear option left.

No advice really, just wanted to say what a nightmare this all sounds. I agree with the poster above. I would go to the press now if I were you. Best of luck op.

Ask to get an appointment with another GP. If the receptionist objects say you'd like to speak to the practice manager. If your flat is causing you any health problems then surely the GP should be supporting this?

GPS can write letters to support other things like patients getting benefits etc

The absolute only thing I could add to this is if GP is unhelpful can you change GPs??

only a small suggestion? I found ours was shit and immediately a different GP was better

I wish people would stop trying to insist that GPs do letters for housing.

I work in a surgery. Our GPs don't do any letters for housing.

The social housing system in my city is so completely overwhelmed that even those with highest priority are waiting 5-10 years for a property. A GP letter can't do anything to change that and GPs are unwilling to provide them as they cannot attest that what the patient is reporting is true (we can provide a copy of someone's pt summary which shows factual medical info such as diagnoses and meds etc).

GPs don't see patients at home and so can't corroborate the patient's account of how their housing is inadequate for them. Bear in mind also that people's idea of inadequate almost always falls way WAY short of the LA's definition.

I've been told by multiple managers at my city's housing that GP letters make not one iota of difference to someone who already has the correct priority banding. They actually advised thst we stop doing them as they're just a waste of the GPs time.

If there is a genuine medical reason for a specific housing need then housing will do their own assessment of that and award banding accordingly.

The amount of people I've encountered who think that they can get a letter from their GP about their mild-moderate anxiety and depression and that it will get them an instant council house is ludicrous.

Leave your GP out of it and go through the appropriate channels.

I'm sure it does suit councils not to have GPs backing up claims for housing. But this makes me really sad as surely a GP's opinion is valid as far as health implications are concerned if housing is inadequate? How else does housing know if there are health needs/conditions to be taken into consideration? It also must mean the data needed to evidence actual local health related housing need is missing.

And yet THEY (the NHS) moan to the press about it

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/06/depressed-poor-housing-costs-nhs-14bn-year

Oh op. I have thought of you often. I am so sorry this is still going on. What is the job situation like after uni in your chosen profession? Is there a light at the end of the tunnel this way? I agree with a previous poster. You need to consider going to the press. Sod what old friends think. You and your dd are more important than pride right now

My GP has done supporting letters for housing & for PIP both for mental health related disability.

Protecting vulnerable people especially young children from harm from the effects of poverty and poor housing eg mould is really important. It's sad to see GPs with such a low opinion of the people they are supporting

My son and his partner were give a 3 bed. Baby arrived so they needed 2. Right opposite were a family with 2 girls and a boy. The boy was 12 and the older girl just turned 11, which means they were overcrowded, but lazy council had given him the home instead of moving them and giving him the 2-bed. He was buying, but before he gave his notice, he did a house swap - it was the only way. Sadly there are much bigger families than yours stuck in 2-beds.

Could you move to another council? Sometimes they do allow you to opt for a wider area. Do you have the sort of job that could move entirely to another area?

I tanked our wet room it cost £7k but it has fixed everything, are there any grants available locally

Have you involved environmental health? they are a different part of the council and may even condemn your property

That wasn't written by a GP. It was written by another tenant, similar situation to OP and then a journalist... not GP, not NHS.

How are you doing @CoconutSky ? ☺️

A year on almost!
Phoned up last week to file another complaint that I was even put in this hell hole and despite them shoving me in a damp, tiny, fully adapted home knowing it was hard to let they are refusing to let me complain as “no failure of service was provided” 🙄
I might just send one in on email anyway.

Im determined to get my shit in order this year
Environmental health are being called on 2nd Jan
Then if no joy I’ll get a solicitor and I will take Jigsaw Homes to the fucking cleaners. Cheers to the last New Year’s Eve in this fucking rotten damp shit hole.

(I am on the councils housing nominations list so can be matched to other properties from all our HA’s but the wait can be ages) - alas one step further.

Happy New Year xx

Oh op
i wish you had went to everyone you needed a year ago .
Also call then every week they will soon get fed up of you.
Good luck with environmental health

And yet they reckon there’s no special waiting list for accessible properties! They can’t have it both ways.

I’m so sorry you are dealing with this. I have no advice other than for you to try to step away from the despair mindset - I know, so much easier said than done, but there are some practical suggestions from others on this thread. Give anything a go even if you think/know it won’t work.

And make yourself a nuisance as much as you can. I hope 2025 is better to you.

@CoconutSky I am sorry that you are still going through this.

Awful situation Coconut.
I know you’ve tried your M.P. and the Ombudsman, but have you tried your local Councillor? You should have two or three in your area, so you can contact them one by one (not all at once). It’s really more their remit than the M.P.’s.
Some of them are like Rottweilers, even if it’s a one-party council. If they have surgeries make an appointment there armed with photos and if possible your child in tow. Then beg for a site visit (though some councillors won’t do them for security reasons).
Good luck, at least you’ve made some progress this year even though you’re still stuck in that awful place.

Actually, it might be worth trying the failed MP/county councillors - ours is a rottweiller because he has nothing to lose, and nobody to placate, but he knows the ropes as he has only recently lost his seat... or Wes Streeting and Matthew Pennycook while you are at it, or even HRH Prince William

Do you have a working extractor and trickle vents in the bathroom?

also, how old is the building? It’s not really possible to know for sure if it’s insulated and an older property unless there’s proof of work, investigation, or it’s newer and therefore comes with insulation.

https://housingclaimsdisrepair.com/start-your-claim https://www.matrixsolicitors.net/housing-disrepair-claims https://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/500342/repairs_safety_and_maintenance The first 2 are "ambulance chasers" so sign nothing, click no agreement buttons, but worth a look.

I have phoned them this morning and requested inspection number 7 (unbelievable)
Currently on hold to shelter for some further advice on what to do next!

Have you contacted your local newspaper, they may be interested in running a story