the long-awaited, disabled persons flat
Email to Chiltern Hundreds Housing Association
14th September 2002
On April 17th of this year I was sent a letter from your office
offering me the tenancy of 19 Ladymeadow Court, Middleton, Milton
Keynes, which would be ready "in early May". Five months
later I am still waiting to see the flat, let alone decide whether
to move in.
Before you reach for your standard reply letter, consider this.
I am disabled, so I have less choice about what kind of place I
can live in. My illness is motor neurone disease, which has been
going on for two years now. it is a terminal condition with a life
expectancy of anywhere between several months to a few years. Given
my curent rate of decline I give myself four years in total. Your
inability to deal with builders has robbed me of a quarter of my
remaining chance at an independent life. Since being thrown on the
streets by rascally landlords I have spent the time waiting for
your flat in a nursing home. I am a 54 year old male who is blessed
with good friends and family, writes music and right now I live
amongst 80 year old women who sleep in front of loud tvs every day
and staff who shout above the tvs. My life is completely on hold
and my possessions, such of them as I can access, are crammed in
a tiny room. I have been robbed of my independence by this institution,
by its very nature. I cannot prepare food for myself etc.
As for the way your office has handled this business of Ladymeadow
Court, you should be ashamed. When I first saw the place in April
there was about two weeks work left. Due to some stupid squabble
of which I have never been give details my waiting has gone from
two weeks to four weeks, then the end of July, then a social worker
from MK who said it would be ready around the end of August and
finally your agent for the Middleton area leaving an ansafone message
saying she was getting the keys at the end of the week, Friday 13th.
Another deadline come and gone.
When is this property going to be available?