A MAN fell through the floor of his council flat after spending months living in squalid conditions.
Things have got so bad for Simon Lebeau that he says he would now rather sleep on a park bench than spend another night in the "hell hole".
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Simon Lebeau fell through the floor of his council flat Credit: BPM 4
The 35-year-old had to go to hospital and have a tetanus shot Credit: BPM
The 35-year-old, who lives with several mental health conditions, moved in to his East London home in 2017 after spending years living on the street.
His Stamford Hill property was supposed to be a fresh start, but he has faced repeated issues ever since - most recently plunging through his living room floorboards.
Simon told MyLondon: "I was walking across the front room floor and one leg just fell straight through the floor. It went up to my pelvis.
"I had to go and have a tetanus jab at the hospital."
The gaping hole in the floor was temporarily repaired by Hackney Council, but it has yet to attend to provide a permanent solution.
Simon said this, along with 12 other outstanding repairs he has been waiting 18 months to be dealt with, is having a hugely negative impact on his health.
The other problems include a broken front and back door, missing kitchen cabinet doors, faulty switches and mould throughout the property.
Simon also described his kitchen sink as “moments from caving in”, leaving him concerned for his safety.
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He said: "Every single time I report a repair, it’s not an emergency, it’s not health and safety.
"If you live in a high crime area, if someone could gain access to my property, I would say that is health and safety because anything can happen.”
Simon has also raised concerns about alleged homophobic discrimination and abuse he has received from other council tenants living close by.
He said these incidents have left him with a “sense of dread” and that he “doesn’t feel safe” living in his own home.
Before Simon, who has bipolar disorder and epilepsy, was granted his current property, he was homeless for two years.
The dilapidation he has faced in his own home has left him feeling "like a prisoner".
“I thought coming out of homelessness would be a new start for me but I’ve suffered more here than I have in any of those situations and I would rather be on a park bench than be here," he said.
'PRISONER IN MY OWN HOME'
“I feel like a prisoner within my own home. There needs to be more empathy and more thought put into what’s done.
"The council need to support their tenants, not just provide them with housing but provide them with support.”
Hackney Council has since responded to the incidents raised and scheduled a surveyor to attend Simon’s property on October 25.
A Hackney Council spokesperson said: "We’re sorry that Mr Lebeau is experiencing repair issues in this property.
“We and the police take any allegations of hate crime extremely seriously and would urge anyone who experiences hate crime to report it to the police."
The spokesperson added that an "administrative error" had meant that some allegations made by Simon regarding homophobic remarks from neighbours had not yet been followed up on.
"We will call Mr Lebeau to apologise and explain our next steps," they added.
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Simon said he is concerned for his safety Credit: BPM 4
Simon, who used to be homeless, said he would rather sleep on a park bench Credit: BPM
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