A retired dairy worker says he hasn’t bathed or showered in two years because the municipality delayed installing a shower in his apartment.
Michael Davey, who suffers from arthritis and other health issues, struggles to climb stairs but can no longer use the bathroom and is dependent on his wife Stella, who bathes him in bed.
Michael, 56, who lives in the Weston area, said: « I was told I had to move to another flat before I could get in-house accommodation, but none of the flats I looked at in line was only suitable for a disabled person.
Applicants can then wait a further 18 months before the work is completed. A spokesperson points out that the delays are beginning to diminish, although he would not say how many people are on the waiting list.
A report published in 2017 indicates that the grants, calculated around a certain amount, have helped more than 40,000 people a year to live in more affordable housing since their introduction in 1989.
However, before a person can apply for funding, their needs must be assessed by an occupational therapist.
Activists are calling for a significant increase in the supply of purpose-built housing for people with disabilities.
Shelter and others say tens of thousands of people with disabilities typically spend months or even years on the waiting list for social housing.
