A SOCIAL housing tenant has been forced to live in ‘squalor for two years.

David Bell, from Blackburn, said social housing provider Together Housing made him live in ‘disgusting’ conditions after a back injury left him unable to work.

He said the walls of the one-bedroom flat he was allocated were ‘smeared’ in cat faeces, the radiators ‘clogged’ with cat fur and the floorboards were littered with exposed nails which had impaled his dog’s paws.

Mr Bell said he was only able to move into the flat in Darwen after having it cleaned and fumigated himself and was without a bath or shower for 18 months, forcing him to shower at a neighbour’s house.

He said: “You wouldn’t believe how disgusting it was, there was cat faeces smeared all over the walls and fur clogging up the radiators.

“The fur was full of flea eggs which I didn’t realise until I put the heating on and they erupted out of the radiators.

“The whole place was infested so I had to move out for two months.

“When I finally got in there was no bath or shower so I had to go to a neighbour’s, a total stranger’s, and use his.

“I asked for help from the housing association but in the end I had to give up and pay for it myself

“It’s still not right, the house is still full of mould because there’s no insulation so it’s damp and the kitchen is rotten.

“I should not have to live like this.”

The former joiner became homeless two years ago after a back injury meant he was unable to work.

After staying on a friend’s couch while waiting housing, he was told he would have to pay a deposit before moving in which, as a social tenant, is not procedure.

He said: “I went from living in a two-bed in Kirby Road to being homeless.

“I had to go on benefits and was sleeping on a friend’s couch, it was awful.

“They charged me £138 to move in, which I had to borrow because I couldn’t start claiming benefits until I had a tenancy agreement.”

Angela Stuttard, head of repairs and maintenance for Together Housing Group, said they will be visiting Mr Bell to discuss his payments.

She said: “We are unable to comment on an individual tenant’s circumstances, but Together Housing do not charge tenants bonds or deposits on any social housing general needs property.”

“We will be visiting Mr Bell to clear up any confusion.”

However, Mr Bell said he felt like he had been failed by the system he had been contributing to all his life.

He said: “I have worked and paid tax all my life.

“You pay tax so if things go wrong you can be supported, but that’s not happened.

“If they were selling the house they wouldn’t sell it in this condition so why do you think it’s ok to make me live like this?

“I’m living on £173 a month because of Universal Credit, I at least want to live in a clean house.

“I can’t have people round because I don’t want them to see the house.

“It’s no way to live.”

Angela Stuttard, Head of Repairs and Maintenance for Together Housing Group, said they had already addressed a number of Mr Bell’s issues.

“Together Housing work hard to provide quality homes that everyone can be proud of and enjoy.

“We’re sorry if any tenant is unsatisfied with our work.

“Where tenants have concerns, we always ask that they raise them swiftly and work with us to ensure our inspectors can access the property and book repairs quickly.

“We encourage Mr Bell to contact us directly to raise any further issues.

“We have already addressed a number of Mr Bell’s concerns and works are now ongoing, including additional works which had not been reported by Mr Bell.”