Mother's plea over housing

A single mother from Lisburn who says she has had a number of nasty falls from struggling up three flights of stairs with her four-month-old baby is claiming she is putting her life at risk each day.

Debbie Graham, says she needs to battle up steps to get into her flat and fears she will have yet another fall with her baby son Leo.

She suffered concussion after one fall as well as bruising to her legs and hip after attempting to climb the stairs at Avonmore Park on other occasions.

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Debbie has been living at the Old Warrenn flat for almost two years now, and says she has already fallen three times.

She has asked the Housing Executive for a move to a ground floor flat but claims her requests have fallen on deaf ears.

Debbie said, “I have been told that I am on a priority list but I have not been offered anything.

“Climbing up these stairs is really just too much for me. One of the times I fell with the child but he was well protected in the car seat and I took the impact.

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“If I’m carrying shopping or anything and the child is with me what do I do? I cannot leave the shopping at the bottom of the steps or leave the child.

“I am quite concerned about falling again. I fell back one time and hit the back of my head on the wall and was concussed.

“When I’m going home I have to get someone to help me as I cannot get the pram up the stairs.

“I know there are homes available I could move into but they are not being offered to me. I do not want my child to get injured again.”

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A Housing Executive spokesperson said they were doing everything to get Debbie re-housed.

“We have been working with our tenant to source new accommodation,” said the spokesperson. “Staff are endeavouring to re-house this tenant at the earliest opportunity in alternative accommodation.

“The areas in which she wants to live are in high demand, with low turnover.”

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