Tenants in the Actonville council-owned flats said they are worried that their lives are in danger.
READ: Man falls to his death in Actonville
On December 6 the City Times visited four of the Actonville council-owned flats; namely, Delhi, Karachi, Aligrah and Ajmery courts to see the conditions that tenants are living in.
Clr Haseena Ismail (Ward 29) said that the flats have many issues because they are old and need adequate maintenance, which she said the council is not doing.
“Structural failure is one of the biggest problems that could be a threat to the lives of residents because the flats look like they could collapse at any time,” Ismail said.
In Karachi Court, after a man died when a wall on the fifth floor gave way in May, the wall has still not been repaired and residents say other walls are loose.
In Delhi Court, a resident reported that “a huge piece of concrete fell from the top” in the corridor, saying she fears for her life.
According to another resident, Drashika Dhanee, the putty on their windowsill is old and is not adequate to hold the panes in place.
“The window looks like it will fall any time because the windowsill is also starting to lift,” Dhanee said.
Another resident, Shalin Steel, said she reported her broken windows and ceiling to council on October 4, but still had not received help.
“We have to fix our own windows and I have tried to report the matter to the council, but it is hard to get hold of them,” she said.
Residents also reported that water seeps through from the top floors, which has resulted in their ceilings and walls being stained and damaged.
Elders Monica Valley and Taahirah Majam from Aligrah and Ajmery courts said they are getting sick from all the water damage their homes and belongings have sustained and they’ve reported it “many times”.
“We have a major water crisis and the department is taking too long to repair water leaks,” Ismail said.
She said tenants also face burst or leaking pipes and that corridor lights aren’t working.
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