Residents of Killaire Wood Lane, a social housing estate in Bangor, County Down, have expressed their concerns about the structural problems in their homes and their impact on their children’s health. The majority of the residents of Killaire Wood Lane are families, many of whom face complicated mental and physical needs. While some of the residents have been struggling with rotting door frames and water damage, others have had to live in mouldy and damp conditions that are particularly worrying for those with severe disabilities.
Leigh Corbett, a resident of Killaire Wood Lane and a mother of three, said that she had to replace her bedroom floors multiple times due to poorly sealed balcony doors that caused water leakage into the house. She expressed her frustration at Choice Housing, which built Killaire Wood Lane in 2018, for not replacing the faulty windows and doors despite repeated complaints from the residents. Lena Andrews, another Killaire Wood Lane resident, complained to Choice in 2019 about draughts, and some of her windows were sealed with silicone, making her balcony doors unusable. This temporary fix has since caused even more problems, with water seeping in and damaging the wooden floor in her daughter’s bedroom.
Choice Housing admitted that it had used silicone as a temporary measure but says it had been removed because it no longer had the necessary effectiveness. It apologised to the residents for the hardwood components failing in such a short timeframe and for the delay in replacing defective windows and doors. “However, we have now completed a survey of all properties and have progressed our own contract for these works. This will allow replacement of defective windows and doors to commence on site in February 2024,” the company said.
In the meantime, residents continue to live in fear for their children’s health and safety. Despite paying their rent through Universal Credit, they feel that they are not getting the basic expectation of a safe house. Choice Housing said that affected tenants would not be “out of pocket for any loss incurred as a result of damage caused by these unacceptable defects”. It also plans to “expedite” the repairs already reported and to be on the ground in Killaire Wood Lane this week to make window and door measurements
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