Some residents at a newly built affordable housing development have had to live at hotels for nearly seven weeks after severe flooding damage.
Watford’s record goal-scorer Luther Blissett had the building of 17 homes in Raphael Drive named after him as part of Watford Community Housing’s push to provide social rent accommodation.
The Luther Blissett House – that was unveiled in March - comprises of 12 three-bedroom flats, five two-bed flats and a community hub on the site of the former Centrepoint Community Centre.
But footage seen by the Watford Observer has shown water pouring out of the overhead lights in corridors and rooms extremely damaged by burst water mains.
One person has claimed that the water main has burst at least four times since moving in, and the conditions were unliveable.
Watford Community Housing has confirmed that four households at the building have been affected.
The Observer is told one of the people affected includes a mother with a one-year-old daughter who now fears that her home is “not safe”.
After she moved in April, she was shocked that just months after she had to relocate and has been forced to “live out of a suitcase”.
While the housing association has promised to cover the cost of “alternative accommodation”, there the woman claims there was one week where she had to squat at her mother’s house as WCH failed to book anywhere.
WCH has assured the Observer that despite fears of safety, “there is no safety issue and no inherent mould problem”.
The affected areas are being “left out to dry” which is said to be the “correct advice”, the housing association explained.
A spokesperson said: “We fully appreciate that this is a frustrating situation for those residents affected and we are doing all we can to support them.
“We are, of course, covering the cost of alternative accommodation as well as any uninsured possessions that have been damaged, and we’re providing regular updates.
“Our building contractor is responsible for rectifying the issue, and we are working closely alongside them to ensure this is resolved as quickly as possible.”
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