Demi is a single parent with two daughters, one of whom has a disability. Her daughter’s disability causes her pain and she regularly wakes in the night, disturbing Demi’s youngest child. So now Demi sleeps on the floor of her room while the youngest has the bed.
But this is not the worst of it.
The flat has not had a working toilet for over a week. When they notified L&Q and explained that a member of the family had a disability, L&Q helpfully told them to “pee in a bucket“.
But this is not the worst of it either.
When the flat regularly floods, Demi has to ask passers-by for help to get into the property without getting soaked, and wading through soiled water.
Even this is not the worst of it.
For Demi and her family, the most troubling problems are repeated infestations by rats, mice, fleas and cockroaches.
Apart from the furniture that’s been destroyed – and which Demi had to borrow money to replace – the bites have become infected causing health problems for her and her children. And the hardship is confounded by L&Qs protracted refusal to do anything about it.
Despite everything Demi is absolutely clear on the need to fight for her rights and to protect her children from L&Q’s wilfull, three-year neglect:
“We need to keep fighting these big companies … We’re human beings. We’re not going to tolerate this any more”.
Demi
She is encouraging all around her to come together and hold L&Q to account alongside all the other big landlords whose treatment of tenants and residents is unacceptable.
SHAC@L&Q
SHAC@L&Q meets monthly to discuss issues with the landlord and develop campaigns to address them. All meetings are advertised on the Events page. To join the group and receive an invitation, please register with SHAC here.