A family whose ceiling came crashing down after it was judged safe following a water leak are still in temporary housing more than a fortnight later.
A burst pipe in the early hours of the morning on July 25 badly damaged Deanne Harding’s home in Enfield, where she lived with her five children, including a six-month-old baby.
Firefighters switched of the mains after she was forced to call them out between 2am and 3am.
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Deanne said she was told it would take one to four hours for Notting Hill Genesis housing association to send someone out.
A contractor arrived between 10.30am and 11am and Deanne says she was told “the ceiling was safe” before it came crashing down an hour and a half later.
Deanne said: “The scary thing is the only reason we weren’t in the lounge was due to how wet everywhere was, otherwise that ceiling could have landed on us.
“I had been sat outside in the cold with a wet baby and a flooded house.
“We had nowhere else to go but back into the house with no electric, no water, nothing.”
Deanne has blasted the response from the housing association.
She added: “Housing just don’t care at all.
“After a week in and out of hotels I refused to just be put in another as they only allowed me to have three children with one adult, but I still haven’t got room for all my children with me.
“How they have treated me and my children is disgusting.
“I have been fighting rats since I moved in nearly three years ago.”
A Notting Hill Genesis spokesperson said: “We are sorry that our out of hours contractors were unable to get to the property promptly after the pipe burst.
“Since the incident we have been working closely with the resident to try and meet the needs of her and her family, and immediately arranged them a move to a nearby hotel.
“We initially sourced alternative places to stay which can cater for the whole family and accommodate their pets in Chingford and Dagenham, but these options were turned down.
“Pest contractors have attended to treat the property this week, ahead of the family’s return.”
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