Episode 3 The Housing Enforcers


Episode 3

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Transcript


LineFromTo

Hello, can you just let me in?

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'The law says everyone has the right to a safe place to live.'

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I wouldn't keep my dog there, is the honest truth.

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'But for thousands of people across the UK,

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'the reality can be more hovel than home.'

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The house is falling to bits, there's nothing I can do.

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'In the battle for decent housing...'

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We've just got conditions that are just appalling.

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I don't know how the people are coping, to be quite honest.

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'..it's local housing officers who are on the front line.'

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If somebody had died here,

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you would have been standing in the coroner's court.

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'I'm Matt Allwright, and I'm back with the housing enforcers.'

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-15 people in this house?

-15 people total living in here.

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'I'll be with them as they tackle problem properties

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'and slum conditions...'

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-It really does look a shanty town.

-Yeah, it's not up to standard.

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'..as they deal with dodgy landlords, nightmare neighbours

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'and everything in-between...'

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Oh, my God. Straight away, there's the smell of dog muck.

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You never know what you're going to find.

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'..doing their best to help those in need

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'of a happy and healthy home.'

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'Today, leaving kids home alone has devastating consequences...'

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CHILDREN SOBBING

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We've opened the door and behind the door is a young girl.

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She's very, very upset.

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'..a leaky pipe puts the lives of tenants at risk...'

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There's water leaking into the electrics from upstairs.

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This is totally unacceptable, isn't it?

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'..and a new bathroom reduces Margaret to tears.'

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-SOBBING:

-Ain't it fabulous?

-Oh, Margaret.

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We might not always know it,

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but there are people from every local council whose job it is

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to make sure we have a safe roof over our heads.

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I'm working alongside the men and the women

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who use the law to make sure we don't live in slums

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but in homes fit to raise a family, or enjoy our retirement.

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They can make sure that you have the facilities you need

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as you get older.

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They also have the power to start the process that can send

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a bad landlord to prison, or help evict a bad tenant.

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They are the housing enforcers.

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In Wolverhampton,

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I'm out on the beat with housing officer Ravi Phull.

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We're taking part in a combined operation with local police

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and other council agencies.

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And in our sights - antisocial behaviour.

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There have been reports that large families have been causing

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problems in a local neighbourhood

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and together, we're looking to help stamp it out.

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What do we think the problem is?

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What's going on that needs dealing with by all these people?

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It starts off with children,

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so they've got children who should be in school, but they're not,

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they're hanging around the streets,

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they're not being taken care of by their parents or whatever,

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they're open to road traffic accidents, that kind of thing.

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So obviously, that's the police side...

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So these are kids we're talking about, of school age?

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Right, so there's lots of complaints going on.

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That side of it is a concern for the police

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and for the child protection type people and then,

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it's like a dominoes effect, isn't it?

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Because when you pick on that issue, you then go

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back into their homes and what the police have found is that

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once they've gone into their homes,

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there's a load of overcrowding issues,

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there's poor housing conditions that they're living in.

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-Which is where we come in.

-Which is where we come in.

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It's really interesting to see

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how partnerships between other local agencies

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can target problems that blight whole neighbourhoods.

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After all, a home isn't just four walls and a roof,

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it's also the street where you live.

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We're quite a mob, there's quite a lot of us.

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Although this is a police-led operation targeting houses

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that have been attracting complaints of antisocial behaviour,

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the housing team are also taking part to check for overcrowding.

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The first address is one Ravi knows well.

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What was your issue here?

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This was the one where I was saying that, previously when I came out,

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it was massively overcrowded.

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-Is it registered as one property or...?

-I believe so.

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But when the front door is opened at the next property on the list,

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none of us are prepared for what we find inside.

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-CHILDREN SOBBING

-It's OK, it's OK. No, no, no...

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We might not be able to film.

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What's happened is that we've opened the door and behind the door,

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opening the door, is a young girl. She's very, very upset...

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but it's clear that her mum isn't home, er...

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and she's, as you can tell, she's very, very upset by this.

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One of the things we anticipated coming out today was the idea

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that we might come across children,

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very young children, by themselves without their parents,

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who really are of school age, should be at school and aren't.

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And aren't. Erm...

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That's a difficult job right there.

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The child inside is clearly too young to be on her own.

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She's understandably scared,

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but the officers still need to do their job -

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to make sure she's safe today and in the future.

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Because these were the children who people have been reporting

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that are roaming the streets.

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They are now at home alone.

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As they opened the door, the guys, and said, "We need to come in,"

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her face, it was really upsetting.

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Because the child who opened the door is clearly very distressed,

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I wait while Ravi goes inside

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to find out more about what's going on here.

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What's the score, Ravi?

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In terms of the children, there's two young children in there.

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How old are the children?

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I think one was about five or six

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and I think the other one was about, probably, two or three.

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Up to five or six, and a two-year-old left by themselves?

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They're completely on their own. They don't speak a word of English,

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so there's no way of them communicating,

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which is why they're continuously crying.

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We haven't even got into the house

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and already, I've got a very bad feeling about what we've found.

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-The mother's on her way back, is she?

-I believe so.

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-From work or something?

-Possibly... Is this the mum?

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Do you live here?

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OK, but do you live here?

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It's difficult to understand, isn't it?

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Fortunately, the police are here.

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They try to bring back the woman to identify exactly who she is.

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-Sorry about this.

-It's all right.

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So, I think maybe the mum, possibly the grandma, I don't know,

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saw people waiting outside and decided to leave and go.

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Now the police have picked up the same woman that did that

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and brought her back and, clearly...

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Well, the assumption is she's a family member of some sort

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and she's now there with the kids.

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What I've already seen has really shocked me

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and later, the situation doesn't get much better.

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The public protection and social services are on their way now.

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For many of the 11 million people living with disability

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or long-term illness in the UK,

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losing the ability to earn a living can also make it hard to find

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a decent, safe place to live.

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In Dudley, housing officers David Bates and Lindon Morgan

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have had a complaint from a tenant

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about the dangerous state of his privately rented home.

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His mum should be here.

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Hello. Mr and Mrs Bird?

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Hiya.

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Left unable to work by cancer and a disability,

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Michael Bird is forced to spend most of his time

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in his ground-floor flat,

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but a leak has left him scared to go into his own bathroom.

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Have you reported it to your landlord?

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-Yeah.

-And what's his response been?

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He's going to get it done, but nothing's been done.

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Electrical accidents in the home kill 70 people a year,

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so if Michael's right about water coming through

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into the bathroom fittings,

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the housing officers have an urgent problem to deal with.

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-That's not good.

-That's not good.

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Clearly, Michael wasn't exaggerating.

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The bathroom's in a terrible state and it could be lethal.

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So, you've got water leaking down the electrics thing.

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OK, need to make some notes.

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Damp and mould is extremely bad and will cause trouble.

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An electric shock could finish you off.

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Tenant Michael has been living with the bathroom

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in this condition for more than a year,

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but hopefully, that's about to change.

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The usual practice is to serve,

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in this case, what will be an improvement notice,

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which will list the works that need to be done to get

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rid of what I would consider to be quite a pretty serious hazard.

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But serving an improvement notice to clearly lay out exactly

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which repairs the landlord must do could just be the first step.

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The beauty of the notice is that, if he doesn't comply with it,

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we have options to either prosecute and/or do the works ourselves.

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Do the work and send him the bill.

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Coming up - Lindon finally gets to the source of all the trouble.

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I've got two fingers, three, four, five, right through the boards,

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absolutely soaking wet.

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One of the toughest things for any of us as we grow older

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is facing the heart-breaking realisation that we can't

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look after ourselves in the homes we've come to love.

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But in Kent, Swale Borough Council's "Staying Put" Manager, Susan Hughes,

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is on hand to give practical support

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to help people repair or adapt their homes,

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rather than move, as their needs change.

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The scheme is a vital lifeline

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for people like 85-year-old Margaret Crabbe.

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Sue and her people...

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Well, there's not words to describe, because they've done so much.

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Everybody...

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they are marvellous.

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You just don't know these people exist until you need help.

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Last year, I met Margaret

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when she applied for a disability grant for a new bathroom.

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She'd just lost her husband, and she had no-one to help

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with the kind of daily tasks many of us take for granted.

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Roy used to have to lift one leg over,

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then have to lift the other leg over.

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I had the difficult job of breaking the news

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that she'd have to wait a year for the work to be done.

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-The problem is, it's not going to happen immediately.

-No.

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Six months later,

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she's come to the top of the waiting list much earlier than expected.

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So Susan's heading back to get the ball rolling.

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If she signs the application form, I can put it in for approval,

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and hopefully in about a month we can get the work under way for her.

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She has had to wait for quite some time,

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and bless her, she's been very patient.

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She's just happy to have some help in the end.

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Fortunately for Margaret, the wait's nearly over.

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-Hello.

-Hello, sweetheart, come in.

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-Are you all right?

-Not too bad.

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I've got some good news that we're moving on.

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First, Susan needs to dot the Is and cross the Ts.

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-All right. I've come to get the form signed...

-Yes.

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..for the grant, because you've got to the top.

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I know, it's wonderful.

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-So you're going to get it all done.

-Good.

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Finding solutions that help people to carry on living independently

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in their own homes is all part of Susan's job.

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The more grab rails you can fit in a bathroom, the better,

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to get people around the bathroom and not falling.

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So near the toilet, near the showers.

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For Margaret, the grant isn't just giving her a bathroom

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that's easier to use, it's giving her back a bit of dignity.

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I think anybody will know, to get in and out of the shower every day

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instead of standing at the sink having to wash yourself in stages,

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because you can't do it...

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It'll be wonderful.

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Be like Christmas every day.

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It will.

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It'll be like that.

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Later, I'll be back in Kent

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to see what Margaret makes of her new shower.

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-This is magic.

-Ain't it fabulous?

-Oh, Margaret.

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Defending our right to a safe place to live is

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the job of housing officers right across the UK.

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This is not really an acceptable way of leaving

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-the property behind.

-Do you think?

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'I'm working alongside the men and women that do exactly that.'

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-Top marks.

-Yes!

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I'm hitting the streets...

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Hello, can you open up?

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There's definitely somebody inside, cos we've seen movement.

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'..finding out what's happening on the front line...'

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The cistern's in the bath. I don't know how they flush it.

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..and learning what it takes to make sure that a house

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is a fit place to call a home.

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I'm very shocked. This is ridiculous.

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You shouldn't have people living in here.

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In Wolverhampton, a crackdown on antisocial behaviour

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and overcrowding has taken a dramatic turn with

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the disturbing discovery of children left alone at home.

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Opening the door is a young girl. She's very, very upset.

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CHILD CRIES It's clear that her mum isn't home.

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Now housing officer Ravi Phull wants to check the property

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for any other safety issues.

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-This is a relatively clean, you know, spacious house.

-Yes.

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We don't know about numbers of people living here yet, because we haven't

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seen the whole place, but there are beds in the front downstairs room,

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which makes you think that it's a fair number of people here.

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-There's no way out the back door, is there?

-No, and this handle's broken off as well.

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Everything about a place that makes it dangerous for adults to be here,

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or for a family living together, makes it so much more so for kids

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by themselves, because you look at that back door,

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OK, let's say there's a fire somewhere else in the house,

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-there's no way out here at all.

-They're not getting out there.

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They're not getting out of that one at all.

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'I'd be nervous as an adult living with a fire hazard

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'like that, let alone leaving children on their own here.

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'The dangers in this property keep coming.'

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I mean, you've got a staircase

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which has a single hand rail on one side, but the carpet on it

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has been laid on top of other carpet and the whole thing

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looks like a badly fitting jumper.

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I mean, it's asking for someone to trip.

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Imagine a six-year-old and a two-year-old tripping on that.

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'And the news doesn't get much better upstairs.'

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I'm going to take from that that we don't have any restrictors.

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-That's right, we don't.

-Wide open.

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So that's going to very comfortably fit a child through.

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It's a very low windowsill on this, so easy for a child to lean out

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too far, go straight down onto the pavement outside.

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Clearly, there are kids in this room.

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Window opens completely

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and then gives out onto the hard standing of the side return there,

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which means you go straight out and you don't get up again.

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For some reason, in this property,

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there's smoke detectors in every room.

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Every single room, the smoke detectors have been pulled down.

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I can only think it's because people are smoking and,

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therefore, they're being set off and so they're causing them a nuisance,

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and so they're pulling them down.

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While we're uncovering the glaring safety issues in the house,

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the residents of the property have come back

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and the seriousness of the situation is clearly beginning to set in.

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ARGUING DOWNSTAIRS

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Unideal situation we find ourselves in sometimes is that,

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at the end of the day, all right, we're involved in the house,

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but we're directly involved in people's lives and how they live.

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Obviously, they're putting themselves at danger, leaving children.

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We're looking around this house and we can see the hazards

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and the things that could happen to the children while they're in here.

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There's no ignoring the fact that

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knocking on the door as we did today, as we can hear downstairs,

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has at least given these people the fear that their children

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are going to be taken away from them, because as soon as we opened

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the door, there was a very young girl and her even younger sister

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-in the house, unattended.

-No, it's not a fear, they are taking them.

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-They're taking them?

-They're taking the children.

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They are, they're taking them. The public protection

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and social services are on their way now.

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'Removing children from their family

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'only happens in the most extreme cases.

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'Although the police have told Ravi that is what's going to happen,

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'first, social services need to carry out a full assessment

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'of what's been discovered.'

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I can tell Ravi has been in this situation before. I never have.

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I've never been present

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while someone's had their kids taken away from them.

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And whatever's been done wrong here... You know, leaving kids in

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the house at that age is not right. It can't be done, in any house.

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But still, being present while the kids... I've never...

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I've never shared that

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and I don't think I want to.

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It's a horrible situation, but before

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the final decision to remove the children is taken, we need to let

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the right people fully investigate exactly what's happened here today.

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I think we're good to go.

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I think social services have just arrived.

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'Whatever the outcome, it's been a sobering reminder

0:18:070:18:09

'that housing officers never know what they're going to find

0:18:090:18:13

'when they walk through a door.'

0:18:130:18:14

The only thing, really, I can look to do now is to let the police,

0:18:140:18:18

social services and everyone do what they need to do

0:18:180:18:21

and then look to come back really in the next day or so.

0:18:210:18:26

The housing officer job, the HO, is... There are times

0:18:260:18:30

when you have to make difficult decisions, but that...

0:18:300:18:33

After we left, the council's social work team and the police

0:18:440:18:47

carried out an assessment of the family and the situation.

0:18:470:18:52

Although it had clearly been distressing for the children,

0:18:520:18:55

the decision was made not to take them away from the family.

0:18:550:19:00

The family have received advice

0:19:000:19:02

and guidance on childcare from social care professionals,

0:19:020:19:06

and they're continuing to receive support from the council's

0:19:060:19:09

Early Help Team to ensure that the children aren't put at risk again.

0:19:090:19:14

The landlord told us he's now installed hard-wired smoke detectors

0:19:140:19:18

and window restrictors have been fitted.

0:19:180:19:20

He told us the back door handle is in working order

0:19:200:19:23

and he also told us he wasn't aware of any problems with the carpet.

0:19:230:19:28

Back in Dudley, tenant Michael Bird's complaint about the condition

0:19:330:19:37

of his bathroom has revealed a potentially lethal situation.

0:19:370:19:41

Damp and mould is extremely bad and will cause trouble.

0:19:410:19:44

An electric shock could finish you off.

0:19:440:19:47

The next day, the housing team are back to meet the landlord

0:19:470:19:50

and get the problem fixed.

0:19:500:19:53

Hello. Lindon Morgan and David Bates from Dudley Council.

0:19:530:19:58

But the waterlogged electrics and damp aren't the only health hazard

0:19:580:20:01

worrying Michael, who's already battling cancer and a disability.

0:20:010:20:05

What we'll be doing is having a look to see what needs to be done

0:20:050:20:08

upstairs and then we'll be serving a notice on the landlord.

0:20:080:20:12

Mandhar Singh Bhugal looks after both flats for his daughter,

0:20:150:20:18

who owns the property.

0:20:180:20:21

Leaving things, that's what happens. Look at that,

0:20:220:20:26

and as a result of that...

0:20:260:20:28

Don't get upset, don't get upset, it's all right. I'm just

0:20:280:20:30

talking through what the facts are, and the facts are nothing's been

0:20:300:20:34

done about it, or not enough has been done about it.

0:20:340:20:37

This is where we're at a crossroads,

0:20:370:20:39

where we now need to do something about it,

0:20:390:20:42

cos look at this, this is totally unacceptable, isn't it? Yeah?

0:20:420:20:45

It's time for the team to go upstairs

0:20:470:20:50

and see the cause of all the damage.

0:20:500:20:52

You can see underneath here. You'll see where it's been

0:20:520:20:56

tied off with just a J-cloth of some sort.

0:20:560:20:59

And the floor is actually soaking wet.

0:20:590:21:04

I can put my finger right through the board there. My fingers...

0:21:040:21:07

I've got two fingers, three, four, five, right through the boards.

0:21:070:21:11

Absolutely soaking wet.

0:21:110:21:14

Look at that. That's what you're getting in the floor.

0:21:140:21:18

Soaking wet. You can see the water all over my hand

0:21:180:21:22

and that's the floorboards above that plasterboard ceiling

0:21:220:21:26

that you've got there, that's covered in damp and mould.

0:21:260:21:29

This isn't a problem that's happened overnight.

0:21:290:21:32

The water's been dripping away under this bath for more than 12 months.

0:21:320:21:35

So a simple leak, which could've been fixed by changing the fittings,

0:21:350:21:39

will now mean replacing floorboards, electrics

0:21:390:21:42

and redecorating two bathrooms.

0:21:420:21:45

If the landlord had acted as quickly as the housing officers,

0:21:450:21:47

he'd have saved himself thousands.

0:21:470:21:50

There's a problem that needs sorting out here before somebody gets hurt.

0:21:500:21:55

-They don't open the door, they don't let me come in. What I do?

-OK.

0:21:550:22:00

-If for some reason you can't get in to do the repairs...

-Yeah.

0:22:000:22:04

-..then, you need to let us know.

-OK.

0:22:040:22:07

Because we want the works done and you will have

0:22:070:22:11

what's called a reasonable excuse for not doing the repairs.

0:22:110:22:15

Nothing I want to say. I want to say only they don't let me come in.

0:22:150:22:21

We'll sort that out.

0:22:210:22:23

If that's the case, let us know and we'll help you.

0:22:230:22:25

Even if the landlord has had trouble accessing the upstairs flat

0:22:250:22:28

to make repairs in the past, David just wants the problem fixed now.

0:22:280:22:33

Unfortunately, as a landlord, if there's an issue of disrepair

0:22:330:22:38

-in a property, it's your responsibility...

-My duty, yes.

0:22:380:22:42

-..in nearly every case, I'm afraid.

-They are not dealing with me nicely.

0:22:420:22:47

Help me get them out.

0:22:470:22:49

If you're not happy with them,

0:22:490:22:51

then you have a right as a landlord to evict your tenants

0:22:510:22:54

and you know that.

0:22:540:22:56

If you want to take the chap downstairs...

0:22:560:22:58

-I mean, he looks as good as gold as a tenant.

-Yeah, yeah, he's good.

0:22:580:23:02

But his bathroom is awful and it's been awful for a long time.

0:23:020:23:08

You need to sort that out and if that means coming up here

0:23:080:23:11

and fixing a leak, whoever's caused it, you need to do it.

0:23:110:23:14

You're in now, there's no problem with that. Let's get working on it,

0:23:140:23:17

let's get things in motion, let's get it sorted.

0:23:170:23:20

OK, we will do that.

0:23:200:23:22

If you want help with access or anything, let us know.

0:23:220:23:24

I'll let you know all the time.

0:23:240:23:27

Two weeks later, the rotten joists and sodden floorboards have been

0:23:270:23:31

replaced and a qualified plumber is on site reinstalling the bath.

0:23:310:23:34

And as soon as upstairs is finished,

0:23:370:23:40

work immediately begins on Michael's flat...

0:23:400:23:42

much to his relief.

0:23:420:23:44

I'm glad they're doing it now.

0:23:440:23:47

It should all be sorted soon, with a bit of luck.

0:23:470:23:50

Michael had lived for months with a dangerous bathroom.

0:23:510:23:54

But in the end, it only took a couple of weeks to fix

0:23:540:23:57

after intervention from the housing enforcers.

0:23:570:23:59

In Kent, pensioner Margaret Crabbe's come to the top of the waiting list

0:24:060:24:10

for a new shower, after years of struggling to get in and out of the bath.

0:24:100:24:14

Standing at the sink, having to wash yourself in stages

0:24:140:24:18

because you can't do it...

0:24:180:24:20

It's six months since I first met Margaret,

0:24:240:24:27

and I have a special reason for wanting to come back with Susan

0:24:270:24:30

to see how she's getting on now the bathroom's finished.

0:24:300:24:33

I've had a letter.

0:24:330:24:35

It's a really nice letter, which doesn't happen very often,

0:24:350:24:39

just to say how much she enjoyed the whole experience of meeting us,

0:24:390:24:44

me and Susan Hughes, and getting things sorted out.

0:24:440:24:48

So, we ought to go and say another hello, I think.

0:24:480:24:52

'When we arrive, it's all a bit overwhelming for her.'

0:24:550:24:57

-Hello.

-Oh, look!

0:24:570:24:59

Oh, no! Margaret, don't hide!

0:24:590:25:02

I've brought him back to see what we've done.

0:25:020:25:05

Come on, then.

0:25:050:25:07

'And she's not the only one.'

0:25:070:25:09

Hello, darling. How are you?

0:25:110:25:13

Come here. Come here. How are you?

0:25:130:25:15

Come here. It's lovely to see you again.

0:25:150:25:18

I couldn't not come, cos you sent me a letter!

0:25:180:25:21

-Oh, you got it!

-Yeah, I did, I did.

0:25:210:25:24

-I've got...

-Come on in, come on in.

0:25:240:25:27

Have a sit down.

0:25:270:25:29

'Last time I was here, I was really nervous about telling Margaret

0:25:290:25:32

'she'd have to wait over a year for her bathroom.

0:25:320:25:35

'It's absolutely brilliant to be back after just six months.'

0:25:350:25:39

We thought this was going to take over a year.

0:25:390:25:42

Here we are, we're in August now.

0:25:420:25:44

It's not even the end of August.

0:25:440:25:46

That's worked out all right, then?

0:25:460:25:48

-Yeah.

-It's really good, isn't it?

0:25:480:25:50

'Susan and the "Staying Put" team are there to help people like Margaret

0:25:500:25:54

'adapt their homes, rather than move as their needs change.

0:25:540:25:58

'There's something I really want to know.'

0:25:580:26:00

This is the key question, Margaret.

0:26:000:26:02

Is it going to let you stay here for longer, do you think?

0:26:020:26:06

-I don't want to go anywhere else, Matt.

-No.

0:26:060:26:09

I don't want to.

0:26:090:26:10

'It's incredibly moving to see the impact a new bathroom

0:26:100:26:13

'will have on Margaret's life.

0:26:130:26:15

'I think it's time to see the transformation for myself.'

0:26:150:26:18

-I think we need to go up and see your bathroom.

-Yes, I think you need to.

0:26:180:26:22

'It seems Margaret can't wait to get me upstairs.'

0:26:220:26:25

-There we are.

-I tell you what, this is another good thing.

0:26:250:26:29

Yeah, very good.

0:26:290:26:30

I couldn't go up and down the stairs, not at all.

0:26:300:26:34

'But there is a slight delay.'

0:26:340:26:35

It will only take a little weight, else you could've sat on my lap

0:26:350:26:39

and come up with me, couldn't you?!

0:26:390:26:41

I think there are rules against that sort of thing.

0:26:410:26:44

Yeah. It'll only take a certain weight.

0:26:440:26:46

I'm so pleased you could make it.

0:26:460:26:49

'Seeing Margaret so happy, I wouldn't have missed this for the world.'

0:26:490:26:53

I'm dying for you to see it.

0:26:530:26:55

Oh, look at that!

0:26:570:26:59

It's palatial.

0:26:590:27:02

-That is so different, Margaret.

-Yep.

0:27:020:27:05

Look at that.

0:27:050:27:06

That's hot and cold.

0:27:060:27:08

That's the flow... You can turn that.

0:27:080:27:11

-This is magical.

-Ain't it fabulous?

0:27:110:27:13

Oh, Margaret, oh, Margaret, oh, Margaret.

0:27:130:27:17

'Finally having a bathroom that's safe and easy to use

0:27:170:27:20

'means Margaret can carry on living independently in her own home

0:27:200:27:24

'for the foreseeable future.'

0:27:240:27:26

This is, and I'm not lying, Margaret,

0:27:260:27:29

this is substantially nicer than my bathroom.

0:27:290:27:32

It really is.

0:27:320:27:33

Well, you're welcome to come and have a shower!

0:27:330:27:36

THEY LAUGH

0:27:360:27:38

'I think that might be overstepping the mark!

0:27:380:27:42

'It's clearly, though, money well spent.'

0:27:420:27:44

That's it for today.

0:27:480:27:49

Join me next time, when I'll be learning more

0:27:490:27:52

about what it takes to be a front-line housing officer.

0:27:520:27:55

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