Disabled Sheffield mum left to live in mould-ridden house says council are ignoring her pleas
A disabled mum has been left to live in a mould-ridden house after fighting with Sheffield Council for over eight years to get repairs carried out.
Juliet Whitewood, 38, has primary progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and a host of other medical conditions including asthma, manic depression, and PTSD, which has left her unable to work and bedridden for most of the day.
The mum-of-one has been desperately waiting for Sheffield Council to carry out repairs to her home on Steven Crescent, in Chapeltown, ever since moving in over eight years ago.
But, she said her pleas are continually ignored by the authority and now the problems – including damp, mould, and cracks around the windows of the property – have grown to the extent that they are exasperating her health conditions even further.
Juliet said: "The walls aren’t actually attached to the brickwork anymore, you can push on the walls and they move. Now its got to the stage where I’m near enough in bed most of the days so I’m living in the bedroom that’s mouldy.
"In the back bedroom, which should be for my 17-year-old daughter, over the window is all cracking and under the window ledge is too. It’s absolutely freezing in there, she can’t stay in there and I can’t even move in there to get away from the mould.”
As well as damp and mould in the bedrooms, Juliet is unable to use the downstairs bathroom as there is no room for her wheelchair and the garden has no bottom fence.
She has contacted the council many times to complain about her situation but, even though the house has been assessed numerous times, the problems still remain.
"I had a guy come around the other day and he said its just little bits,” Juliet added. “It might look like little bits but I don’t go out anywhere, I have to live here. I want a home which I can be proud of.
"I don’t care how its done, I just want it sorted. I want to be able to live in a nice house but because of all the problems it just doesn't feel like a home.”
Sheffield Council advised that Juliet contact them on 0114 2734567 so they can assist her further.
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