An Edinburgh council tenant who has to travel to a gym an hour away to take a shower is demanding a move to more suitable accommodation.
Ema Nyx, 36, who has limited ability to walk and often uses a wheelchair, has spent 12 years living in a flat that is not adapted for her mobility and other health issues.
Due to her toilet not being adapted for a wheelchair, she has to travel by bus from her home in Wester Hailes to a private gym an hour away in order to take a shower.
Ema said: “I don’t need much, I need a room to wash in, to be able to get in and around my kitchen to cook, to get in and out of my property without steps, and be able to easily get a bus to get to my appointments.
“And yet, here I am, lifting a 30 kilogram wheelchair up and down steps to go to a council office where they’re just like, ‘oh, this is my first time hearing of it’.
“Having done everything I’m supposed to – it’s just knackering. How am I supposed to keep up with medical stuff and everyday life?”
On Wednesday, tenants’ union Living Rent held a demonstration outside a council office in Wester Hailes, calling for action to be taken on Ema’s situation.
Ema says the council repeatedly said they would adapt the flat for her needs – but after seven years, she says they told her the flat could not be adapted.
After that came five years of trying to get awarded gold priority status on EdIndex, a priority council housing application for people who, among other things, need accessible flats.
Finally, in June, a council staffer said they would be able to get her into a suitable flat by September 10 – but that deadline has passed with little progress.
She was offered two accessible flats by the council recently, but she says neither suited her needs – with one having a stair lift she said would make bringing groceries upstairs difficult.
The council has said they are working to find her a home that meets her needs ‘as swiftly as possible’.
Ema was recently awarded gold priority status, making it easier to get access to accessible properties amid the council’s housing allocations suspension.
She also claims her flat was suffering from mould and damp, which was causing her harm due to her immune system being suppressed.
The council has said they’ve offered to make minor repairs to the property, but that it would have required her to be emptied, which she did not want to do.
There are high stakes for Ema to get into an accessible flat, as her worsening mobility means she is likely to permanently need her wheelchair by winter.
She said: “I did everything they asked for, and more. I chased people up, and I did everything in preparation, knowing that I’d be going into a wheelchair.
“We’re here doing everything we’re supposed to do, and they still couldn’t meet [the deadline]. How organised do you have to be to get an accessible home?
“I need to get into a home that can meet my basic needs. You know, home, somewhere that you’re meant to be able to rest and recover.
“Nothing is going to be difficult between now and getting in that front door and getting to bed or getting to sit on the sofa or whatever.
“And yet, everything is difficult as soon as I get through the door – but getting through that door is also difficult.”
“This seems to be a constant issue with Edinburgh Council. The neglect, not just in housing, but across the board. It’s quite shocking.”
Labour councillor and Housing convener Lezley Marion Cameron said: “We understand Ema’s frustration and will continue to support her to find a home that meets her housing needs as swiftly as possible.
“We can confirm that the property she’s currently living in has been inspected, and minor works are required which the council will carry out.
“However, Ema has advised officers she would prefer to remain there until the council finds her a permanent home rather than move to a temporary property.”
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
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