Apology over months-long delay to fix Bristol man's leaking roof

A housing association has apologised after failing to fix a man's leaking roof in his flat despite him reporting the matter months ago.

Abdirahman Sufi's flat in Stokes Croft, Bristol, became riddled with damp and had faulty electrics due to the leak.

Mr Sufi said his health had been badly affected, and said his housing association knew about the issues for months but did not fix them.

Places for People apologised and said repairs would be carried out this week.

Mr Sufi has a letter from his GP urging the housing association to re-home him, saying the conditions he is living in are having a detrimental effect on his mental health.

Mr Sufi said: "I have a really bad life. I'm not very well. Always I am not sleeping. When I sleep I think of this house broken and I get up quickly.

"So always I'm not happy. My health is no good. My sleeping is no good."

Abdirahman Sufi said the problem had affected his health

He said there had been problems with the roof for years, but the issue got worse last year.

Mr Sufi said he notified Places for People in August, and the company visited in November to take photos of the damage but did not take any action.

Places for People said: "We are committed to providing a responsive repair service and we are sorry it has taken longer than we would have liked to complete the repairs."

"We have tried on a number of occasions to arrange appointments and to gain access to Mr Sufi's property but have been unable to do so."

The company confirmed repairs will be carried out this week.

The housing charity Shelter has said 40% of people in the UK live in homes that do not reach acceptable standards in cleanliness, safety and space.

The roof leaking has caused damp issues throughout the flat