Disabled woman without lift can’t leave upper floor flat as homes lay empty on ground floor

A woman with rheumatoid arthritis living alone on an upper floor flat is beside herself with frustration that her pleas to move to a ground floor home are being ignored.  

Katarzyna Schab moved into her flat in Huntington Close, Mitcham, in 2019. 

Although desperate for a ground floor flat because of her condition, Moat Housing Association, which provides homes on behalf of Merton council, had only the upstairs one available, which has no lift access. 

But it promised she would be reassigned to the ground floor once one became available. 

But when one was freed up in December last year, it was not offered to her, despite many attempts to make representations.

There were also delays until February of this year until she was placed on a list of tenants seeking a move.

Then, when Kasia – as she is known – suffered anti-social behaviour from a tenant at the other ground floor flat, that tenant was evicted in March 2022.  

With two vacant flats on the ground floor, she was still not accommodated and both flats remain vacant after several months.  

Kasia, 40, said: “I’m very upset and frustrated with the way I’m being treated by the housing association and Merton council.  

“They make me feel like a third-grade citizen. As I’m disabled, having mobility issues, walking up and down 24 stairs is a nightmare and because of it I’m a prisoner in my own home.  

“Those stairs limit my life to minimum. Going out only when I need to, like for hospital appointments. All of my shopping is done online or someone else is getting it for me.  

“As I’m indoors all the time, that’s causing depression and anxiety. I would love to have a ground floor place to live in. I just want my freedom and my independence.”  

A spokeswoman for Moat Housing said: “We do have an open management move case for Ms Schab and she will be considered when a ground floor or property with lift becomes available in the areas of her preference. 

“Flat 21 [the first flat vacated] needed extensive repair work, including the removal of asbestos, hence it has taken longer to turnaround this property for reletting.  

“When we are notified of a property becoming void, we start advertising and, in most cases, we will have a shortlist of nominations in place for the property before works are completed.

“This has been the case for both ground floor flats at Huntingdon Close, and we received a shortlist of nominations before Ms Schab was added onto our management move list.

“Both nominations are in the advanced stages but in the event that the current nominees withdraw or are unsuccessful, we would consider Ms Schab for either flat.” 

Pictured top: Kasia Schab struggling up flights of stairs (Picture: KS)