UPDATED WITH HOUSING GROUP RESPONSE
Twitter message to Wembley Matters and Brent Council following publication of this story:
We're in contact with landlord about repairs - in meantime we’ve carried out ‘make safe’ and cleaning. The ceiling taken down by fire brigade will be decorated once new plaster is dry. We’ve today been contacting our residents individually; they can also call 020 8996 4200
Residents of Prospect House had a miserable weekend as they coped with a ceiling leaking contaminated water on to a communal corridor and had to send desperate messages to Shepherds Bush Housing Group to send in an urgent repair team.
The Fire Brigade fortunately got to the block just before the ceiling collapsed. Carpets were soaked with debris and foul water.
The neglect of the block by the landlord, the housing group and Brent Council has made headlines with the residents facing eviction and little assurance of rehousing. LINK
A resident of the block told Wembley Matters:
They have used a wooden makeshift plank to hold up the ceiling I’m not sure how safe this is or when a proper ceiling will be installed.
We had to end up calling the London Fire Brigade to assess the ceiling and they where luckily in the building when the ceiling collapsed to ensure no one was hurt. We all have kids in this building the ceiling could have fallen on anyone and even worse a child !
They brought round someone to clean with a rug doctor but the water marks and stains still remain and there is a pungent smell of toilet waste that reeks in the building. We also have water marks and peeling wall plastering along where the ceiling has fallen.
This is unhygienic and unsafe living standards and I’m sure no one from Sheperd’s Bush Housing Group or Brent council would want to live here themselves.
Brent are also not helping to rehouse individuals as we are approaching being evicted from our homes . This is the sad reality of living in social-housing on a low income we are treated like dirt.
Another residents said on Twitter:
The floor looks worse than it was before. This is what we are paying for service charge absolute joke ! And the toilet waste smell along the corridor I have to put something to cover underneath my door to avoid the smell entering into my house.
Shepherds Bush Housing Group responded to events on Twitter:
We're sorry for inconvenience when soil stack failed. We were there as soon as possible Friday night to do initial ‘make safe’ repair. Cleaners did initial deep clean Sat am, then specialist chemical clean Sat pm. We will be there today to assess action and will update residents.
Prospect House was converted to housing from office accommodation less than five years ago.
