Elderly and vulnerable Croydon residents feel “forgotten” after communal space is left in horrible state

By Tara O’Connor, local democracy reporter

Elderly and vulnerable residents have been left feeling “forgotten” after the communal space at their sheltered accommodation block has been left in a horrible state.

The common area is now unusable after a leak more than three months ago that still hasn’t been fixed.

The room is usually used for bingo nights and eating together at the flats in Kuala Gardens. But the walls are peeling and covered in mould following the roof leak.

Patricia Calder, 73, was one of the Norbury block’s first residents and has lived at Kuala Gardens for more than 11 years.

The grandmother, who has arthritis and no vision in one eye, comes down to the communal space twice a day to make sure it is neat and tidy.

She said: “The water was literally pouring from the light.

“I know there are places that are worse than this but if there is something that needs doing.

Residents in the sheltered accommodation block all pay an £11 a week service charge but Patricia thinks this isn’t being used to care for communal spaces, including the entrance area.

“We all feel that we are just forgotten here,” she said.

“When I first moved here there was a lovely lady who would come every day 9am-5pm but six months later she was gone.

“From then on we used to have somebody coming every day for an hour or so to check on the more vulnerable people, lately they have forgotten we are here.”

Raymond Brown, 75, has also been a resident of the block for 11 years.

He said: “The leak happened about three months ago, we reported it and even the cleaners reported it.

“The carpet stinks and the walls are ruined.”

Patricia and Raymond both said that there have been problems with the security doors at the block – sometimes they are left unlocked meaning anyone can enter the building.

While Patricia has no problems with her flat and says it is warm, she claims that during the winter the hot water can go off for 24 hours at a time.

This is something that Raymond has also experienced, he has COPD and struggles in the cold.

He says that he was left without hot water or heating for nine weeks last March and had to travel to a friends house in Streatham to shower.

Raymond said: “Croydon Council say they don’t know anything about it, but all they have to do is go to the tenancy officer, she tries and tries.

“I’ve got lung disease and I’ve had a couple of heart attacks, my doctor couldn’t believe I’d been without heating.

“It just annoys me that they say they didn’t know anything about it, they had to because they had to order two new pumps from Germany.”

A spokesperson for Croydon Council said: “We are very sorry to hear of the concerns of residents and we are looking into the issues they have raised.

“We have been carrying out repairs and maintenance to the communal areas of the block, including repairing roof leaks and the front door.

“Further work is due to be carried out and cleaning and fixing the common room will be done as a priority. We will also be contacting residents in person in order to carry out checks on their individual properties.”