A Lurgan mother has spoken of her distress after what she describes as 18 months of unresolved and dangerous problems in her Housing Executive home, leaving her feeling unsafe and feeling like she has nowhere else to turn.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous and we will refer to as Maria, moved into the property in May 2024 with her three children, aged seven, six and two.
Since then, she says the family has experienced a relentless catalogue of issues, many of which she claims have either been inadequately repaired or ignored altogether.
“Since I’ve moved in, it just seems to be there’s a problem every other day and it just gets palmed off,” she said.
Maria described how hedges at the rear of the property were removed shortly after she moved in, but large stumps were left behind and never dealt with, despite assurances that someone would return.
More seriously, she says a leak appeared in one of the bedrooms just weeks after moving in and has persisted ever since.
“There’s been a leak in the bedroom since about a month after we moved in,” she explained. “They just come in, plaster over it really quick, and then the next week it’s the same thing again.”
The situation has deteriorated to the point where the family has had to stop using the bedroom altogether.
“It soaks everything. The mattress was ruined — we had to get new mattresses and everything because it just soaks everywhere. You ring the Housing Executive and nobody really bothers.”
Electrical safety fears have added to her concerns. Maria said a plug socket in the kitchen “blew up” last Thursday, prompting Northern Ireland Electricity to attend the property.
“They said the wiring in the house was unsafe and nobody should be living in it,” she said.
However, she claims responsibility for the issue has been disputed between agencies.
“Northern Ireland Electricity said it definitely had to do with the wiring inside the house, but HSENI said it was nothing to do with them.”
Maria added that the property is a ground-floor maisonette and that the electricity supply for neighbouring properties runs through her home.
“If there’s a fire next door, they can’t even turn their electric off to stop it because it’s in our house,” she said.
“Anyone who’s looked at it has said it’s not safe to be in, but nobody wants to update it or do anything.”
She also reported persistent leaks in the kitchen roof, which she says occur whenever someone upstairs uses the bath or shower.
“They don’t want anything to do with it,” she added.
Other issues raised include rotten door frames, which she says were eventually replaced but left large gaps between the frames and walls, loose skirting boards, an unstable bannister and doors that do not properly lock.
“With kids and stairgates, it’s frightening,” she said. “They’ve talked about getting a new bannister but it just gets passed on and passed on. Nobody comes out.”
Maria said the Housing Executive placed her family in emergency accommodation in the Belmont Hotel in Banbridge for one night after the electrical incident, but she feels the underlying issues remain unresolved.
“The maintenance officer is out near enough every other day, but he just looks at things. It’s almost like he’s annoyed to be there. I just don’t feel safe in the house anymore.”
She said the impact on her children has been severe.
“My daughter won’t even go to sleep at night. She’s scared to be asleep in the house.”
Despite contacting councillors and elected representatives Maria says little has changed.
“They tell them [elected reps] everything’s sorted, but nobody’s even been out to look at anything,” she said. “I just feel stuck. I don’t know what to do or where to go.”
She added that cracks and weaknesses in the roof remain, with water now leaking around window frames and down the walls, and that contractors who were due to plaster door frames and fix skirting boards last Friday have still not appeared.
“So nobody wants to listen really,” she said.
A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive told Armagh I: “Maintenance officers attended this property this week
and a number of repair jobs have been raised to be completed.
“We will continue to work with our tenant in the time ahead to ensure these fully delivered.”
