60-year-old disabled resident Pete Arnesen, who lived in Stonewater social housing in Swindon, said he had been struggling to breathe and constantly coughing due to issues with damp in his home.
Stonewater was called out to investigate the issue and ordered builders to remove a key wall in the kitchen.
The Arnesen family claim they begged builders not to do it, saying it “wasn’t safe” and warning that “the upstairs would fall down” – but their concerns were allegedly ignored.
Now, a surveyor who has reassessed the Swindon property has declared it unsafe to live in.
Pete, who lives with his Ukrainian refugee wife and daughter, has been moved into temporary accommodation in an Airbnb in Royal Wootton Bassett.
His family home, which he had lived in for 30 years, has been deemed too unsafe to rent and is now set to be sold.
Pete had lived in the Swindon home for 30 years(Image: SWNS)
“I was terrified to see they had smashed down the supporting wall. I said to housing that it was dangerous and I was in fear it would fall down,” said the Swindon man.
“I am now taking sleeping tablets every day to try and sleep, but I just lie awake thinking and worrying.
“My family is homeless now because I asked for the damp to be repaired. We are really in a bad state.
“I am homeless. I have nowhere to live. I am still paying my rent, gas, and electric for a house I am not living in.”
Structural concerns were raised after the wall had been removed(Image: SWNS)
From September 31st, he says he and his family will have nowhere to live and have been to Wiltshire Council to formally register as homeless.
Pete says he is “devastated” that he could not keep a promise to his Ukrainian refugee wife and daughter to “keep them safe”.
He added: “They came through a hard time. They got stuck in Bulgaria when they fled their country, and they went from hotel to hotel.
“Now I have to say to her ‘my angel we married last December and now we are homeless.’
“For her, it is bringing back all the problems of the past, what happened to her running from her country because of the bombs and being the war and it is terrible for her.”
Dave Lockerman, director of housing operations at Stonewater, has confirmed that the housing provider is working to find a new home for the family and denies claims that the family is “homeless.”
Mr Lockerman said: “We are working closely with Mr Arnesen and his family to secure a new permanent home in the Swindon area, and we fully understand the distress this situation has caused.
“We want to be clear that Mr Arnesen is not homeless. He remains a Stonewater customer, and we have, and will continue to, provide him with temporary accommodation and financial assistance throughout this process.
“This includes paying for the temporary home, providing a weekly inconvenience payment and offering compensation. We will not leave the family without a suitable home.
“The safety of our customers is our highest priority.”
The director added: “As Stonewater has not owned the property for the full duration of Mr Arnison’s tenancy, when the damp issue was first reported, we instructed a contractor to carry out remediation works.
“During this time, Mr Arnesen raised several concerns about the work being carried out. We took these concerns seriously and a senior surveyor visited the property and identified a previously unknown structural issue with an RSJ.
“As soon as this was confirmed, we acted quickly to ensure the family’s safety, moving them into temporary accommodation and confirming that the home was no longer suitable for rent.
“A full review of this case is underway so we can learn from it and strengthen our processes for the future.”
