The second floor of the Southwark council estate where Michelle lives.
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Members of ACORN Southwark, a community union, will protest outside a Southwark council meeting on Wednesday on behalf of Michelle, a Southwark resident who says she has been asking for a disabled-friendly council flat for over 20 years.
Michael Keating, a representative of ACORN Southwark, said it was originally the plan to have Michelle speak at the council meeting, but the council refused, saying that it would not be “proper procedure”.
Michelle, who told City News that she suffers from physical conditions such as arthritis and heart and kidney failure, said that the stairs and malfunctioning lift to her second floor flat are not disability-friendly, saying “it’s very hard… I get depressed, especially in this house”. She explained that the constant cold temperatures and draughts in the flat affect her arthritis.
Michelle has conditions such as arthritis, heart failure, kidney failure and lupus, which make it difficult to stand up for long periods of time.
Her condition stemmed from a mugging which occurred in 1995. Michelle said this led to kidney failure, which spiralised into a larger infection.
Wasn’t ‘ill enough’
According to Michelle, Southwark Council ignored her repeated complaints about her flat. Michelle said Southwark Council took her off a social housing list for a medical move in 2021 because she wasn’t “ill enough”.
According to Michelle, the lift breaks down daily, and often again soon after operators come to fix it.
Michelle then reached out to her councillor, Andy Simmons, who organised a medical review for her needs. However, Southwark Council failed to contact her doctors and ignored her mental health counsellors, before stating that she would be moved to a general housing list.
Council ‘bluntly refused’ Michelle’s request
Michelle said that her conditions require a bath, a request that Southwark Council “bluntly refused”, saying that their properties were shower only. Michelle said that Southwark Council refused a proposition to adapt a shower in a new property to a bath.
This marked a crisis point for Michelle, who decided then to contact ACORN for assistance. “(Southwark Council) were belittling my illnesses. They were denying that I was ill even though they had medical evidence to prove the fact”.
“I’ve got degenerative diseases… I’m only going to get worse and because of that fact, this is why I’m fighting now… My ideal is to get out of this property as soon as possible and into somewhere where is suitable for my needs”.
Southwark Council has changed her housing band to Band 2, which recognises that she is disabled. Yet, the council told Michelle that there were no available properties for her.
Southwark Council told City News that “the council’s housing teams have been working together to carry out all the assessments required in order to make sure the home she can bid for will definitely be suitable for her needs and that her banding and criteria are correct. I wish her all the best in finding a home she can be comfortable in.”
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Standfirst
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HeadlineProtest to be held over Southwark woman’s struggle for accessible flat
Short HeadlineProtests for Southwark Woman's Housing Struggle
StandfirstMichelle says Southwark Council have "belittled" her and denied her disabilities.
Members of ACORN Southwark, a community union, will protest outside a Southwark council meeting on Wednesday on behalf of Michelle, a Southwark resident who says she has been asking for a disabled-friendly council flat for over 20 years.
Michael Keating, a representative of ACORN Southwark, said it was originally the plan to have Michelle speak at the council meeting, but the council refused, saying that it would not be “proper procedure”.
Michelle, who told City News that she suffers from physical conditions such as arthritis and heart and kidney failure, said that the stairs and malfunctioning lift to her second floor flat are not disability-friendly, saying “it’s very hard… I get depressed, especially in this house”. She explained that the constant cold temperatures and draughts in the flat affect her arthritis.
Michelle has conditions such as arthritis, heart failure, kidney failure and lupus, which make it difficult to stand up for long periods of time.
Her condition stemmed from a mugging which occurred in 1995. Michelle said this led to kidney failure, which spiralised into a larger infection.
Wasn’t ‘ill enough’
According to Michelle, Southwark Council ignored her repeated complaints about her flat. Michelle said Southwark Council took her off a social housing list for a medical move in 2021 because she wasn’t “ill enough”.
According to Michelle, the lift breaks down daily, and often again soon after operators come to fix it.
Michelle then reached out to her councillor, Andy Simmons, who organised a medical review for her needs. However, Southwark Council failed to contact her doctors and ignored her mental health counsellors, before stating that she would be moved to a general housing list.
Council ‘bluntly refused’ Michelle’s request
Michelle said that her conditions require a bath, a request that Southwark Council “bluntly refused”, saying that their properties were shower only. Michelle said that Southwark Council refused a proposition to adapt a shower in a new property to a bath.
This marked a crisis point for Michelle, who decided then to contact ACORN for assistance. “(Southwark Council) were belittling my illnesses. They were denying that I was ill even though they had medical evidence to prove the fact”.
“I’ve got degenerative diseases… I’m only going to get worse and because of that fact, this is why I’m fighting now… My ideal is to get out of this property as soon as possible and into somewhere where is suitable for my needs”.
Southwark Council has changed her housing band to Band 2, which recognises that she is disabled. Yet, the council told Michelle that there were no available properties for her.
Southwark Council told City News that “the council’s housing teams have been working together to carry out all the assessments required in order to make sure the home she can bid for will definitely be suitable for her needs and that her banding and criteria are correct. I wish her all the best in finding a home she can be comfortable in.”
The Lesnes estate in South London was earmarked for demolition in 2020, and residents say current plans will displace them and price them out of the area.
