Video shows ‘dangerous’ conditions in hostel
An engineer who became homeless due to the coronavirus crisis said conditions in a hostel put his life in danger – so he moved out and is now living in his car.
A video submitted by James Jones shows what appears to be a loose electrical cable touching exposed piping which he said he thought could cause a fire.
The room in Heartlands Hostel, a former police station in Bordesley Green, also appears to have a filthy floor.
Mr Jones, 37, added his bedding had not been changed and the mattress had cigarette burns, though the hostel said fresh bedding is provided for all new residents.
The hostel also explained the room had been in the middle of repairs due to a rodent infestation but workers had been unable to return to finish the job since the start of the lockdown.
Mr Jones runs a sheet metal forming business called Jishinto Tech Ltd in Winson Green, and had been living in the factory unit where he was working.
But a lack of business due to coronavirus meant he was unable to pay rent and had to move out.
He said he has registered for Universal Credit but is left with no money after paying costs including storage for his work equipment.
After speaking to officers at Sandwell Council, he moved into Heartlands Hostel on around April 4 and stayed for two weeks but left because he did not feel safe.
In the video, Mr Jones can be heard saying he wanted to show “[how much danger] his life was in”.
Mr Jones said: “I left the hostel. It was too dangerous. I couldn’t stay there because of the conditions. I wasn’t safe at all.
“I have been sleeping in my car in Smethwick. Since I left the hostel I have tried to find somewhere but there is nowhere left to go.
“The room was very small, it was a former police cell. It smelled bad. They did not change the sheets. The mattress was all burned with cigarettes.
“The wire runs on top of the pipes. The pipes will be very very hot. If the wire gets hot, it will catch on fire.
“I am homeless myself. I had a business but I had to close it down due to the coronavirus. No business was coming in.
“My income was not enough to pay rent. I had lived in the factory unit for three-and-a-half years.”
Heartlands Hostel operates three sites in Birmingham with more than 100 rooms for homeless people.
Ahsan Riaz, director of Heartlands Hostel, said: “Work had begun prior to the coronavirus lock down to seal the property following a recent infestation of rodents to the area.
“The pest control contractors informed us that the rodents were using the pipe work boxing to get around and without that being sealed properly the problem would continue.
“This required removing the old wooden boxing that covered pipework so that they could seal any holes behind that and then replace the boxes with metal casing.
“The workmen were in the midst of the repairs when the lockdown was announced and have not been back to the property as a result.
“The property has been undergoing renovations over the past few months, including the upgrading of bathrooms which had just been completed prior to the lock down.
“We have been advised that there is no immediate danger to residents and have been trying to address that issue laying traps where possible.
“Our residents’ safety and well-being is paramount to us so to be ensured of health and safety at the property, we have asked an inspector to conduct an independent inspection of the property.
“Given the current circumstances which are affecting the community we are doing what we can.
“We were not aware of [the issue of cigarette burns]. We have an on-site laundry and provide fresh bedding and sheets for all new residents.”
A Sandwell Council spokesman said: “We supported this gentleman to find a hostel placement at the end of March after he came to the council to say he was homeless.
“We will of course now investigate this complaint in partnership with the service provider and Birmingham City Council.”
A spokesman for Birmingham City Council, which was not responsible for referring Mr Jones to Heartlands Hostel, said: “No one should be forced to live in this type of dangerous accommodation.
“Today, we have sent an environmental health officer out to inspect the property and have written to the company to ensure that they immediately provide suitable accommodation for Mr Jones.
“The council does not use this housing provider to provide accommodation for anyone. This sort of hostel is categorised as supported exempt accommodation and the landlord is a registered provider.
“As such, we have previously made a referral to the Social Housing Regulator who have the authority to carry out an investigations into such organisations.
“Importantly, there are hundreds of supported exempt accommodation providers across Birmingham which is why a fortnight ago, we wrote to all landlords providing this type of accommodation, reminding them of their responsibilities to help and support their tenants, particularly during this challenging time.
“We have also since written to the regulator directly, requesting their support in becoming more proactive with approaching landlords where it is needed.”
By Local Democracy Reporter Mark Cardwell
