Residents of Derry city centre apartment block brand living conditions as 'uninhabitable'

A group of residents in a converted Derry city centre apartment block have branded the accommodation as ‘inhabitable’.

Elliott Walker, Kyle Hynds, Joanne Patterson, and one resident who wished to remain anonymous said the conditions have continued to get worse day-on-day as their pleas are not taken seriously by Triangle Housing Association, who manages the building. 

Miss Walker said: “Our struggle has been going on for over two years, well, for some of us. It is mainly just that you report something to Triangle and nothing gets done about it. I think I’ve been waiting over nine months to get my radiator fixed in my bedroom, so I have had no heating in my bedroom all winter. 

“The six engineers that have come out for my flat about the mould issues, only my flat now.

“They have all said it is due to the cracks on the outside wall letting damp into the insulation, and the insulation needs to be torn out and replaced. 

“To do so, we would all have to be moved out. This is what we have been saying since December 2022, and they still haven’t done anything about it. 

“They keep sending people out to do inspections. The most recent one has said it is inhabitable and we shouldn’t be living here, and we have also had Environmental Health check it.”

Miss Patterson, a single parent to a nine-month-old, has said she has also struggled in her dealings with Triangle and is losing hope of the problems getting sorted. 

She said: “My wee boy is nine months old; we have had the social workers; we have had health visitors; my social workers are all in contact with Triangle. 

“Triangle has said it is not a necessity to get a nine-month-old out of there because he can stay in our room till the age of three, but our room is the worst one in the flat for mould.

“I actually have mould on my mattress, there is mould on the window in our bedroom, there is mould on the corner up the skirtings, there is mould on the bed frames, and there is mould on the drawers, so all of it is going to need replaced when, even if we get moved out. And we don’t have enough money to replace all these things.

“I bought a loaf of bread, brand new, and put it in the cupboard before bed. I woke up the next morning, and there was mould starting to grow on it. You can’t see the mould in the cupboard, but you can smell it. 

“I reported a leak in my roof, and I’m still waiting for the hole in the roof where the leak is to also be fixed, which has been about four or five months since I reported it. 

“They said it was fine and that they would send someone around but left it in a state where water still leaks from my roof. 

“Leaking is coming from the toilet above, and they say it is fine.

“All the workers have said the only possible way the work can be done at this place to fix it is if we move out.

“They keep saying they are going to do things, but they never get it done.

“I remember the first incident; me and him spent a month complaining to them that there was something going on with his roof coming from my bathroom. By the time they opened it up a month later, they had to move us out to a hotel for a week because there was literal human shit and pee—a five-year buildup. It was a biohazard.”

A major concern amongst all the residents is the impact the state of the building will have on their long-term health. 

“Everybody in the building seems to be coming down every couple of weeks with a chest infection or a bad cough,” said the resident who wished to remain anonymous. 

Miss Walker added: “I worry about my long-term health. How will it affect my lungs? My inhalers have been increased twice since I have lived here by my doctors because my asthma has just gotten worse and worse.

“There is a resident here with a bad chest infection currently, and we are in the middle of summer. Imagine what it will be like for him in the winter.”

While Miss Patterson is extremely concerned about her son's health, having already had some worrying moments. 

She said: “When my son was two months old during the winter when it was at its coldest, I had to take my wee boy up to out of hours because I didn’t think he could breathe. 

“He was struggling that badly. I worry about what it will be like this winter. He is getting bad coughs now, and it is summer.”

The residents also raised concern about the safety of the accommodation if there was a fire, and that workers sent to fix the property have raised unease at the wiring of the premises, particularly at the use of an extension cable. 

Miss Patterson said: “The fire alarms are a big problem; as they go off so often, we won’t know if there is an actual fire because we go down and switch them off so regularly and then go back to bed that when there is a fire, we will likely ignore it, not knowing.”

Each resident in the accommodation is a vulnerable person, receiving medication for a range of mental health conditions, and their current living situation is not helping their mental well-being, with their hope diminishing of an improvement to their current situation.

“I’ve no hope of moving, and I’m in my 30s, but I worry for the younger residents and the vulnerable. I hope they can live elsewhere,” said the resident, who wished to be anonymous. 

He continued: “You’re living in a house that is 200 years old, but you are also living in 200-year-old conditions; it feels like we have gone back in time. We are now poor. The housing associations make plenty of money, and we are left struggling, feeling like the scum of the earth.

“That's just how it feels.”

The belief that there is a lack of empathy for the current situation from Triangle is also shared by Miss Walker. 

She said: “I have over £3,000 in rent arrears with Triangle because I’ve had time off sick from work on statutory sick pay and am not able to pay rent due to the issues caused by the mould.

“I also have asthma, so it really impacts my respiratory system. I have also had to replace the furniture in my property numerous times, mainly in my bedroom, caused by the issues, and it has left me short and unable to pay rent. 

“Every time I have spoken to Triangle about it, they have shown no remorse; they don’t care anytime I have called up. They have not apologised for the issues; they just demand rent.”

SDLP Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin confirmed she has secured a meeting with Triangle over the issues raised by residents. 

Ms McLaughlin said: “It is inexcusable that multiple tenants in this property have been forced to deal with damp and mould for some time now. These problems have real and long-lasting health implications for those affected, and the thought of young children or elderly individuals struggling to cope with these issues is just heartbreaking. 

“I fear the issues taken up so far by the housing association only scratch the surface of what residents are experiencing. We cannot allow these residents to be neglected, and I will continue to advocate for them until practical and sustainable measures are taken for all concerned. I have secured a meeting between the association and the residents and will be urging the association to listen fully to their concerns and act without any delay.”

Derry City and Strabane District Council said they are aware of the issue and are currently investigating it. 

A spokesperson for Triangle Housing Association said: “We are aware of the maintenance issues at Hawkin Street and have commissioned a qualified surveyor to conduct a full inspection of the building, which will be carried out the week commencing 29th July 2024.

“We will also convene a meeting with the tenants to provide them an opportunity to discuss their concerns.

“We will continue to liaise and communicate with the tenants at Hawkin Street to resolve these outstanding repairs as soon as possible.”