Disabled Lybster man fears his home is killing him
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A Lybster resident at a supported housing complex claims his home is "not fit for purpose" and is exacerbating his health conditions.
Robert Wright said his house in Jeffrey Street suffers from damp and highlighted a lack of proper ventilation and a poor heating system which he says are making his health "much worse".
Two former residents, who were unknown to Mr Wright, left the same supported accommodation in the village after complaining about similar issues there last year. One of them described the conditions at her house as "completely unacceptable" with very little help coming from the warden of the supported accommodation.
Mr Wright worked as a funeral director for 30 years but due to health concerns including COPD and a crushed spine he had to give up his job and is now registered as disabled, receiving industrial injuries benefits and Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
He had a flat in Thurso but because it was upstairs he said he was moved to Lybster on "medical grounds" when a ground-floor property came up at the supported housing complex in December 2021.
"Bingo! I thought I'd won the lottery," he said about his initial feelings on the house. "My previous place was roasting but this house is freezing cold. When the wind blows you can see the blinds move.
“I've had visitors here who say they'll not come back due to the smell of damp. The council guy came in and used a meter on the carpets which showed high readings for damp."
He claims that Highland Council say the house is "wind and watertight" and that the meter readings were affected by his use of a Neutradol carpet freshener product throughout the property and that the damp smell came via "air vents left from a previous old heating system".
Mr Wright contacted Neutradol asking if the council's belief that the product "traps damp" in the carpet could have any truth to it and a customer care spokesperson said the suggestion was "totally wrong". They added: "In fact, by the nature of the product being a powder it will absorb damp. We suggest you continue to press the council to solve the damp."
"I think it's the cold air coming in under the floors, because we're so exposed, and hitting the hot air that's creating dampness,” Mr Wright said. “I've asked them [Highland Council] to put in underfloor insulation and they've said 'no'. I'm at my wit's end with it all.
"All my soft furnishings are ruined, my clothes stink, my carpets stink, the whole house smells. It's now at the stage that when I get visitors they tell me that their clothes smell when they leave, even their hair. I have told the council countless times about this and I get no answers or sympathy.
"I've even phoned and asked to speak to a housing officer to get moved but heard nothing. I reported the smell to environmental health and heard nothing. I've emailed the local MP and had no response.
"If I stopped paying my rent they would not be long in doing something."
He also complained about the warden service for Jeffrey Street, a service he pays £15 a week for. "I get two texts a week and when the warden is on holiday there's no replacement or guidance should you have an emergency.”
He says he wants out of the property but due to "having no points" he says he will not be a high priority for getting a new home.
"It's as if the council don't give a damn about us. We are just old and frail and don't matter. Everybody here seems to be having the same problems. I'm getting more breathless now and it's getting worse. The cold and damp is no good for my spine. The council must think I'm a dafty and probably want me to move out or die."
Mr Wright said that in his job as a funeral director he would often have to remove the bodies of people who had passed away with health issues caused by poor living conditions. "Now someone is going to come along and find me lying here dead. I feel the place is killing me."
A Highland Council spokesperson said: “While we can’t discuss the specifics of individual cases, we take tenant concerns about mould and dampness very seriously.
"Tenants are encouraged to report their concerns through the council’s service centre on 01349 886602. More information about council house repairs is available on the Highland Council’s website.
“Our records indicate that there have been reports of condensation in some houses in the area and that in each instance council officers have investigated and responded appropriately, giving suitable advice on managing heating and ventilation within the home and assisting with treatment and ventilation options.
"Officers will work with tenants experiencing difficulty managing condensation in their home until the situation is resolved.”
