Clydebank family of four 'forced to sleep in single room' due to water leak

Katarzyna Barnas told the Post she had spent weeks trying to get her housing association landlord to fix the issue at the family’s Glasgow Road home.

Loretto Housing Association, which owns the property, says the leak has now been fixed - and has issued an apology to Katarzyna and her family.

Katarzyna said water began leaking through the roof of the property into her son’s bedroom on July 24.

Katarzyna said that the issue first began around July 24. (Image: Katarzyna Barnas)

“The very first time that I remember it was water leaking into my son’s bedroom,” she said, “and I just started shouting for my husband to come quickly.

“We moved him through to our room because water was dripping on his head, his mattress, his pillow and I thought we cannot live like this.

“A few days after this my daughter had water dripping into her bedroom and she started shouting in the middle of the night ‘mum my mattress is all wet, my pillows, my everything’.

“I ran quickly to check what had happened and water was just soaking into her bed.

“So I moved both of our children into our bedroom and we just sleep as the four of us in one room, it’s no condition to live like that.

“I’m totally exhausted.”

Water also began leaking through the ceiling in Katarzyna's daughter's bedroom. (Image: Katarzyna Barnas)

Katarzyna said that she has been consistently voicing her concerns to her housing officer, at Loretto Housing Association but claimed that she feels like she is being ignored.

She said that her housing officer initially told her it would need to be a contractor that would resolve the issue, but that there had been no progress.

Katarzyna added: “Housing aren’t doing anything. They keep pushing us aside, saying it’s a contractor who will need to fix that.

“I’m so tired of hearing that, honestly. It’s happening all the time but the problem is that every time we notice it and phone them they keep saying they are sending a contractor and every time it gets worse.

“I’m really scared. We moved to this house to get a fresh start but I think we’ve ended up somewhere worse.

“The ceilings in my house are totally damaged. We have water marks everywhere. We keep asking them [Loretto Housing Association] ‘when are you going to fix it?’.

“A few weeks ago we were told that they needed to order some parts. Last week we had someone in our house to look at the defects and I hoped that we would move forward, but he kept saying the same thing that they are still waiting on parts.

“I told him that there would be heavy rain that day and what was I going to do with my children? Where would they be sleeping if there is another leak in their bedrooms?

“I just feel totally depressed sometimes.”

The mother of two is concerned about her children living in their home with the water damage (Image: Katarzyna Barnas)

Katarzyna is concerned about her two young children living in the home due to the water damage.

She said: “I’m so worried with what will happen next. What if it leaks enough that the ceiling collapses?

“I don’t know what I should do now, where to turn, or who can help me. I don’t want my children to live in these conditions.”

A Loretto Housing spokesperson said: “We’re really sorry this leak has affected the family and completely understand their frustrations.

“We have already completed all repairs, including those to the roof.

“We will work with our tenant to carry out any internal redecorations needed to get the flat back to as good as new.”