News / protest
Treatment of housing association resident ‘a case of systemic failure’
A single mother of two young children claims she has had to face inappropriate and unsafe living standards.
Community union ACORN organised a protest in Redcliffe at the Places for People office on Wednesday on behalf of their member Jamileh Ravan.
Ravan says that, despite an independent assessment deeming her home on St John’s Lane in Bedminster being unsafe due to severe mould and structural issues, her housing provider Places for People has allegedly refused to relocate the family.
is needed now More than ever
In the past, Ravan says she has been hospitalised with pneumonia and sepsis after attempting to clean the mould herself. The presence of mould has also affecting her children’s health.
The single mother has been undergoing chemotherapy for stage 3 breast cancer however, Ravan’s medical team have had to halt this because her housing standards are not safe to continue her treatment and making her immuno-compromised.
Because of this the family have been forced into a caravan park, residing in their car.
At the caravan park, Jamileh Ravan and her children have faced hostility from neighbouring caravans while having to live with no running water or cooking facilities for weeks now.
She says her seven-year-old child reported to her that he heard someone shout “I don’t care if you’ve got cancer, I don’t care if you die,” at his mother.
Although placed in Band one on the housing register, Ravan’s requests have been ignored she claims.
The protest was led by ACORN representative Sam Lane who spoke to Places for People – photo: Kashvi Cox
Bristol City Council’s Environmental Health team carried out a desultory inspection but has taken no action even after concluding an alarming report.
At the protest, ACORN is called for Places for People to immediately relocate the vulnerable family into temporary accommodation whilst repairs on their home are undergone.
Members of the protest were wearing the ACORN branded shirts and many had signs – one saying ‘mould is making us sick’.
ACORN spokesperson Sam Lane who led the protest said: “Places for People make millions every year on profit and that’s not even what the CEO gets with bonus’ on top of that”
“This is a case of systemic failure: a woman with life-threatening illness is being forced to choose between an uninhabitable home and homelessness, all while trying to care for her children.”
ACORN then gave the information they had to a member of staff in the office of Places for People, who said he would pass on the information to the relevant people.
Places for People commented: “We take all customer concerns seriously and are committed to doing the right thing by those living in our communities.
“We work closely with our customers to address any issues they raise and aim to resolve matters in a fair and timely manner. ”
We have reached out to Bristol City Council for comment.
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