Glasgow pensioner forced out of home due to leak in her flat

Susan McCormick, 69, who lives in Anderston, claims she has been forced to move in with her daughter Sarah after the leak led to her ceiling collapsing.

She first reported the issue on July 14 to her housing association, Sanctuary Scotland, but now claims the situation has gotten worse with every passing week.

READ NEXT: Owner of former Glasgow Sawmills office building loses appeal 

Images shared exclusively with the Glasgow Times show several holes in the ceiling of the 69-year-old's property, along with water lying across the floor in the living room.

Susan, who has lived in the home for over two years after moving from Priesthill, admits she is now "fed up" with it all.

The grandmother who shared the flat with her grandson Joseph, 24, says that the situation has badly affected her mental health and that living with her daughter isn't feasible due to the stairs.

Susan said: "It is draining me and it has impacted my mental health a lot.

"I really can't keep living like this, I need my own space due to some of my health issues. 

"Joe can go and stay with his girlfriend but I have had to move in with my daughter.

"At my daughter's there are around 20 stairs to climb, whereas at home I have a lift I can use. It isn't ideal but right now I can only really go out once and that is me. 

"I have had issues (with the property) since moving in but the most recent problem is a step too far and I just want them to either fix it for good or rehome me".

The cause of the leak has been identified to be a skylight in the roof of the building and has impacted the living room due to where it's located. 

However, in an e-mail seen by the Glasgow Times, Sanctuary Housing, the parent company of Sanctuary Scotland, admitted that there was a "significant delay" in them inspecting Susan's home.

A spokesperson for Sanctuary Scotland added: “We are sorry it has taken longer than expected to resolve this issue and for the inconvenience Miss McCormick has been caused.

“Significant work has been carried out at this property, most recently on Monday, October 9 to ensure the roof was watertight, and our contractor was due to complete follow-up work to install a new skylight on Monday, October 16.

"Unfortunately, the skylight was not delivered as scheduled and we immediately called Miss McCormick to let her know, offering reassurance in a message that the work will be completed as soon as the skylight arrives.”

Sarah and Susan however claim that no work has ever taken place at their address to fix the problem, despite Sanctuary Scotland claiming there had been.

Sarah added: "It is no way for a vulnerable pensioner such as my mum to be living.

"There has been lots of pressure on my mum because of this as it has not been easy to live in a home that is wet and damp, whilst covered in mould. 

"She is a pensioner who has several health issues. 

"There has been no help from Sanctuary Scotland in terms of getting this fixed. 

"They told us that they were going to put scaffolding up to fix the issue and we have been waiting for months now for this scaffolding, yet it hasn't appeared.

"Having seen the ceiling collapse in several positions it makes me think what my mum would have gone through if it wasn't for me speaking up for her."