£500 a week to live in filth

Martin Shipton

Cardiff Council is being paid nearly £500 per week to house a homeless person in filthy conditions, we can reveal.

Last week, we reported how residents of Adams Court in the Adamsdown district of the capital were living in squalor, amid cockroaches and encrusted dirt. The apartment block serves as temporary accommodation for homeless people in the city.

The appalling conditions came to light after new resident Charlotte Stuckey posted three TikTok videos to social media.

Charlotte, 30, found herself homeless and desperately needing temporary accommodation.

She told Nation.Cymru: “I couldn’t believe what I saw when I moved in. Some of the residents have lived in Adams Court for two or three years and are completely demoralised. They don’t deserve to live like this.

“I’ve been bitten by cockroaches, which have infested the place for years, it seems, and yet nothing’s been done to get rid of them.

“There was a lovely old man who was here when I moved in but has moved out now. He’s not drug or alcohol dependent like some of the residents, but has diabetes. Since being here for the last three months it’s become uncontrollable and he has big open sores in his feet. If it wasn’t for seeing him in the state he was in, I wouldn’t have spoken out.”

Ms Stuckey also questioned the amount being paid for her accommodation.

“The council is getting Housing Benefit of £498 to put me up here – for that I would expect a penthouse. On top of that they want me to pay a £26 service charge. I’m not paying because there is no service to pay for. Goodness knows how much money they are raking in altogether for people to live in this filth.

“There was a dead body found in here not long ago, another resident has told me. They said: ‘This is where I am going to die. This is the place where everyone dies.’”

‘Not acceptable’

A spokesperson for Cardiff Council said: “The council fully accepts that some of the conditions identified at Adams Court were not acceptable and that improvement action was required. As a result, immediate measures were put in place over the weekend, with council cleaning teams and painters and decorators deployed to the site to begin addressing the issues that had been raised.

“Adams Court accommodates people with a wide range of support needs, and as with many forms of temporary accommodation, residents can often present with complex circumstances. While this can create additional management and maintenance challenges, it does not detract from the council’s responsibility to ensure that accommodation is maintained to an acceptable standard. Where standards have fallen short, action is being taken to address this.”

The council said it was developing a wider programme of improvements, including deep cleaning, redecoration and other property works to improve residents’ living environment.

It was also reviewing its ongoing cleaning and maintenance arrangements to maintain standards, respond promptly to issues and prevent conditions deteriorating.

24-hour staffing

On the charges, the spokesperson said: “The block contains 103 units of temporary accommodation. Charges reflect the wider services provided at the scheme, including 24-hour staffing, support, security and operational costs associated with delivering accommodation for people experiencing homelessness. The level of Housing Benefit awarded is determined according to each resident’s financial circumstances and the eligible costs associated with their accommodation.

“The council remains committed to improving standards at Adams Court while continuing to provide essential temporary accommodation to residents.”

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