Walpole St Peter family of seven with multiple disabilities frustrated with Freebridge after fighting for years for repairs to their home
Mould, cracks and endless damage is what a family of seven say they have been living with after alleged repair failures from a housing association.
Luke Emmerson, his wife and his children suffer from a variety of physical and mental disabilities and have lived in a Freebridge house in Walpole St Peter since 2021.
However, their situation has been far from easy, as despite years of urging the association to fix what he describes as “disgusting” safety issues, they have been left sleeping in chairs in their living room.
Freebridge has said it believes that the property is “safe for his family” and that it “remains committed to resolving any outstanding issues”.
The situation goes back four years to when the Emmersons moved into the home and first noticed mould and damp.
Over the course of the next three years, the family said they filed numerous reports but got nowhere - and even got to the point where Mr Emmerson was left crying down the phone to Freebridge, begging them for repairs.
“My mental health took a turn for the worse,” he said.
Eventually, the association started work, and the family was moved out of the house into temporary accommodation for three months.
“My wife, as well as looking after all of the children, had to do all of the moving, and we were only given three days,” he added.
But when the Emmersons returned home just under two weeks ago, they did not believe the work was up to scratch.
“The carpets were ruined, nearly all of our appliances were damaged, and nobody has taken any liability,” Mr Emmerson said.
“A lot of our furniture that went into storage has come back damaged as well.”
For the father, the most concerning thing was that the brackets for a specialised bed for him and his wife were missing, meaning they could not put it together.
“We’ve had to sleep in chairs in the living room since we got back,” he added.
However, it is not just the adults it is affecting, but the children too.
In the house, there are a three-year-old boy, their seven-year-old nephew who is in a wheelchair, and an eight-year-old girl with autism and ADHD - as well as a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy who both suffer from mental health issues and seizures.
“The effects that it has had on the whole family are just phenomenal,” Mr Emmerson said.
“We’re still getting no further forward, and we’re no better off after them moving us out than after moving back, because the work just hasn’t been completed.”
A spokesperson for Freebridge says the association is aware of the dissatisfaction with the work on the home.
“Following the substantial programme of improvements that have been carried out, a full structural survey was also conducted to reassure that there is no movement, as confirmed within the report.,” they said.
“We believe that Mr Emmerson’s home is safe for his family.
“Of the agreed programme of works, only a few minor items remain outstanding, none of which affect the safety of the home and have been scheduled with a contractor for completion.”
Freebridge also addressed the concerns about the cracks left in the walls.
“We have reassured that such cracks are not indicative of structural movement but are a common result of natural plaster expansion due to temperature changes,” the spokesperson said.
“Prior to commencing works, a pre-condition survey of the property and its contents was conducted, identifying any existing wear and tear, and we have compensated Mr Emmerson for missing lightbulbs and brackets.
“We remain committed to resolving any outstanding issues and will continue to engage directly with Mr Emmerson to agree on the appropriate next steps.”
However, the family is now warning people to be “more vigilant”.
“Freebridge are not good with repairs, they are not good with customer services, they don’t care about their tenants and they are not there to help them,” Mr Emmerson said.