Housing NSW fails a dying Redfern woman

The woman’s daughter, Lana Timmings, 25, said while her mother was in and out of hospital late last year, the family desperately sought repairs to their Redfern home on Chalmers St.

The repairs included electrical problems and serious water leaks that left pools of water throughout the unit as well as rising damp, which caused mould to grow on the walls.

“It’s unlivable now. It’s an absolute disgrace,” said Ms Timmings, who has been couch surfing at friends’ houses because of the state of her mother’s unit.

“We have been asking for months and they’ve not fixed anything. The carpet is flooded and it stinks. The walls in the kitchen are all fallen out and the stove had to be removed.

 “I called them and said I can’t be here, it’s not safe and I could get electrocuted from all the water, but they just want to evict me and I can’t even pack mum’s things up because it’s so unhealthy in there now.”

Housing NSW has rejected Ms Timmings’ version of events, stating: “Housing NSW is aware of the maintenance issues at this home and has attended on a number of occasions over the past few months including carrying out repairs to the water leak in January.”

Ms Timmings alleges the problem was so bad that her mother was unable to spend her last days at home before she died in November because doctors said the house was not safe.

“She had to go to a hospice because there was so much mould and damp in the place, and mum had lung cancer. The doctors would not let her be at home.”

Ms Timmings said she had requested the repairs be completed so she could pack up her mothers’ belongings safely but this had been ignored by Housing NSW.

She has now been asked to leave the house she grew up in from the age of 12 so the department can move in another tenant.

“They don’t give you a chance or listen,” she said. “They are the hardest people to deal with, and it’s taken forever to get basic repairs done.”

A housing spokesman said Ms Timmings’ situation had been taken into consideration and she was not being made to leave by a set date.

“Housing NSW is sympathetic to this client and is understanding of her circumstances,” the spokesman said.

“The client has not been issued with a notice of termination nor has she been advised that she needed to leave by a specific date.

“The local office has not received a succession of tenancy application form.”

Source: http://sydney-central.whereilive.com.au/news/story/housing-nsw-fails-a-dying-redfern-woman/