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Of the 11,000 council properties across Caerphilly County Borough and the 900 that on average become available every year, the two-bed Pontlottyn flat that Caeron Jenkins ended up in nine months ago is, he says, unlivable. 

There is damp in both bedrooms, draughty windows, and damage to carpets and household items.

Things are so bad that he sleeps in the living room alongside his eight-month-old daughter and his pregnant girlfriend.

“My girlfriend’s sleeping on the three-seater, I’m sleeping on the two-seater,” said Caeron, “the cot’s in the middle of the living room.”

He recently contacted Caerphilly Observer to highlight the problems of the property in Dan-Y-Graig as living in the council-run property has affected his mental health, well-being, relationships and his job. It is, he says, getting too much.

“I feel like I basically failed,” said Caeron. “It’s breaking me down.”

“It just seems to be going on and going on and nothing seems to being done about it,” he said. 

Caeron has tried to contact people in the council, and politicians and has instructed a solicitor to help him rectify the issues but feels that little has changed. 

It’s made even more frustrating, Caeron says, by the fact that this is a property he never wanted to live in in the first place. 

“It’s been like this since day one really,” said Caeron, who is a painter and decorator by trade, of the poor condition of the property.

After being evicted from his private rental and unable to afford a similar property due to rent hikes, he felt like he had to take the property in Pontlottyn – even though he was worried that damp would aggravate his daughter’s pre-existing chest infections and raised the issue with Chris Evans MP.

He said that he was told this by housing officer, Elizabeth Hurley, from Caerphilly County Borough Council, that there was no other option: “She stated that if we didn’t actually take this place, then we wouldn’t have any other properties to actually live in,” said Caeron.

According to the housing charity, Shelter Cymru, if you are made homeless and in need of emergency housing then a council accommodation must be in a suitable location, affordable and suitable for the tenant(s),  in a suitable location and importantly in a good enough condition. 

Caerphilly County Borough Council have come out and worked on one of the walls but dampness remains a problem as there’s still a lot of moisture. Enough, Caeron says, to create 1.5 litres that’s collected in a humidifier every week in one of the bedrooms. 

“There’s still damp coming in…this bedroom,” said Caeron, “the carpet’s damaged, the wardrobe’s damaged.”

Damp and mould are more likely to affect people with respiratory problems, allergies or asthma, according to the NHS. Children, like Caeron’s eight-month-old daughter, are even more likely to be affected. 

draughty windows leave the house cold in winter, adding to the energy bills which is very much not needed during a cost-of-living crisis.

“There’s air coming through every one of them,” he said. “We’re living in a very cold temperature.”

Caeron has tried. He’s contacted the council, is in touch with the disrepair team and has had a housing officer from the council who has assessed the property and told him in no uncertain terms that it is ‘not acceptable’. 

He’s contacted Chris Evans MP. He’s been in touch with Gerald Jones MP for Rhymney and Merthyr Tydfil who has sent his apologies about Caeron’s situation.

Caeron has spent £1,600 of his own money to improve the property and has made adjustments using his painting and decorating skills. Much of the money spent has gone to waste with more damage arising, and it has left a hole for Christmas festivities. 

“We’ve got no Christmas here,” he said,  adding that he will be unable to host his son this year for Christmas due to the poor condition of the property. “Things are just bad here.”

“They seem to be…dragging their heels,” said Caeron of the council, who says that there is a list of work which is supposed to have been done.

Meanwhile, Caeron’s mental health continues to deteriorate.

“My medication’s gone up,” he said, “I’m having really bad thoughts,” adding that he is currently off work sick.

“I’m getting support from a counsellor and everything else but it’s just getting manic.”

According to the housing charity, Shelter England, three out of ten people who have had a housing issue or worry in the last five years said that it had a negative impact on their mental health, including those who have never struggled with their mental health previously. 

Despite the difficulties and the money he’s put in, there is one simple thing that Caeron wants – to be moved to another property. 

In response to Caeron’s claims, Caerphilly County Borough Council was asked by Caerphilly Observer to provide a comment.

A council spokesperson said said “The property was offered in accordance with our Common Allocation Policy and homeless prevention duties. The property was viewed by Mr Jenkins, when it was offered, and he accepted it on a secure tenancy. Our records do not indicate any challenge made regarding suitability of the property. There is also nothing to suggest that concerns were raised regarding the condition of the property prior to moving in. 

“Mr Jenkins does not currently have an active application to facilitate a transfer and is advised to register an application via our Common Housing Register if he wishes to move.

“Our housing repairs team have completed numerous repairs at the property and are in continued liaison with Mr Jenkins. A further inspection is also being arranged for the new year in relation to the other issues Mr Jenkins has raised.”

Mr Jenkins said: “This has just messed me up,” referring to living in the property.

He continued: “I just want a place where I can live, which is nice and warm, that’s no[t] freezing all the time and my mental health gets back together.”

Information on council housing in Caerphilly County Borough is available here.

Information on how to get help with housing issues across Wales from Shelter Cymru can be found here.