An Aberdeen woman who has been on a waiting list for five years for a new home to cope with her health conditions says her communal stairwell is now being used as a urinal – amidst claims she has been “forgotten about”.
Heather Petrie has lived on Harris Drive in Tillydrone for the last 10 years with her Jack Russell Lexi.
She has become increasingly anxious since suffering a heart attack in 2016 and wants to move somewhere with more support.
However, she continues to stay on an Aberdeen City Council waiting list for a move despite visiting offices in Tillydrone to plead her case.
Meanwhile, the 58-year-old says the communal door to her building is repeatedly broken while some have also taken to urinating in the stairwell.
Aberdeen City Council says it will discuss the issues with Mrs Petrie.
Health fears about mould in Aberdeen council house
While growing frustrated about a move, Mrs Petrie has also had to contend with black mould developing in her flat.
The council tenant insists she keeps the property well ventilated following her diagnosis with the COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) lung condition.
However, she says the problem is continuing to grow.
She said: “Apparently the people in before me also had issues with mould as well.
“It’s nothing to do with ventilation, I have the window open 24/7 due to my COPD, I need to have fresh air circulating in the flat.
“It’s in the kitchen and all over the ceiling, even with the window right open the mould keepr recurring.
“I reported it to the council before the pandemic, and again during the pandemic, I’ve shown them photos, but nothing has been done yet.
“I just feel completely forgotten about.”
Anxious about extra health support
Since suffering a heart attack, Mrs Pertrie has been left with growing health concerns.
She now relies on a mobility scooter while only being able to walk short distances while arthritis also makes it difficult for her to move.
And due to her health issues, she has hopes of moving to amenity cottages on St Machar Drive so she can get extra support.
She said: “I have no family, I only have a couple of really close friends, so I want to stay as close to them as possible.
“I know I’m going to need extra help and I want to be in a place where that support is there with alarms and pull cords.
“I don’t feel safe here anymore. The communal front door is regularly barged open and people urinate in the stairwell, it’s awful, you can smell it.
“I keep going to the council but they keep fobbing me off.”
Aberdeen City Council says it is discussing the concerns raised with Mrs Petrie about her Harris Drive flat in Tillydrone with her directly.
A spokeswoman said: “We are liaising directly with our tenant regarding these issues and will take them forward with her. An inspector will visit our tenant regarding the mould she has reported.”
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