A resident of Newham had a terrible accident in her home six years ago, and her life has never been the same since. Sinthia Arefin was living in a temporary place provided by Newham council when something very scary happened. The ceiling in her kitchen suddenly fell down on top of her, and she got knocked out.
Sinthia explains that the problem started with a leak from the apartment above hers. The water from the leak somehow made its way into her kitchen ceiling, and without any warning, it collapsed on her. It was a really loud noise, and the next thing she knew, she was unconscious. She had to go to Whipps Cross Hospital, where the doctors told her that her neck and lower back had problems with the discs in her spine. This caused her a lot of pain in her neck, arm, and leg. She even started limping because of it. The accident also gave her something called sciatica, which makes her unable to move properly and causes her back to freeze suddenly.
Before the accident, Sinthia used to be an artist, but now she can’t paint properly because sometimes her arm becomes numb. She knows that her life will never be like it was before, but she tries her best to keep a little bit of the life she had. She used to be very social and loved being around people. However, Sinthia believes that the agency that was supposed to take care of the property for the landlord didn’t fix the leak in her kitchen ceiling. She doesn’t even know if the agency faced any consequences for what happened. Sinthia also blames the council for not doing enough to stop landlords who don’t take care of their properties.
The accident has completely changed Sinthia’s daily life. She can’t see her friends or even talk to her mother in Bangladesh, who is her only family. It’s a really hard situation for her. She gets flashbacks of the accident, and she feels like everything around her is shaking. She never imagined her life would be like this because of the council’s negligence. After the accident, Sinthia joined a group called the London Renters Union (LRU)
The LRU helps and supports people who rent homes in London. They have started a campaign to make the council in Newham take a more active role in making sure that houses in the area are safe. Sinthia says that the council needs to have more people who can check on houses and make sure they are safe, even if they are only temporary places to live. She feels like the term “temporary accommodation” sounds like it will last a long time.
Jonathan Inkley, who speaks for the LRU, says that nobody should get sick or hurt because their landlord doesn’t take care of their home. It’s not fair that people have to pay so much for a place to live and still have to deal with dangerous conditions. He thinks that there is too much power on the landlord’s side, and people who complain about problems might lose their homes. He wants the council in Newham to support the renters and make sure that houses are safe and in good condition. He doesn’t want anyone to have to spend another winter in a house with dampness and mold.
Between 2018 and 2022, the council in Newham stopped 84 landlords from renting out their properties in the area. The council’s team also checked over 17,000 homes to make sure they met the rules. When the LDRS asked the council about this situation, a spokesperson said that having a safe and secure place to live is really important for everyone. They promised to keep improving the housing standards and to be tough on landlords who don’t follow the rules.
