Ray Brazier, who moved into his garage home (right) last year

A MAN who has terminal cancer says Islington Council’s failure to take responsibility for his “nightmare” housing situation means he has been left in a “black hole” with regards to his care.

Ray Brazier, 62, was moved out of his home of 23 years on the Whitecross Estate and into a converted garage in Haringey after he was no longer able to reach the fifth floor of the building as a result of his illness.

At the time, in January 2023, he was “very grateful” to be rehoused.

But now, with rising damp and bathroom tiles falling off the walls, neither Haringey nor Islington councils will help him move home.

Mr Brazier, who is due to begin 18 months of chemotherapy at Guy’s Hospital this month, said he just wants to live somewhere “safe and secure”.

“I’ve been through so much chemo, a bone marrow transplant, I’ve got to go through more of that, it absolutely destroys the body,” he told the Tribune.

“My ability to handle all this [the housing situation] is worse and worse. I don’t want to die in this awful room.”

Mr Brazier claims that social workers from Haringey have told him that he has not lived in the borough long enough for them to be responsible for his care, whilst Islington Social Services have still not agreed to visit him and assess his situation.

“I feel like they’ve forgotten about me,” Mr Brazier said. “I need help. I need proper adaptations, like raising the toilet seat, having someone on call to help me while I’m feeling very ill. I just want a decent home, no damp, no tiles falling off the walls, hot water. Somewhere safe and secure, designed for someone disabled.”

An Islington Council spokesperson said: “Here in Islington, we’re determined to ensure that everyone in our borough has a safe place to call home.

“We’re committed to supporting Mr Brazier through this extremely challenging time. The council provided temporary accommodation to Mr Brazier in Haringey last year, while we awaited suitable permanent accommodation.

“Earlier this month we were made aware of issues at Mr Brazier’s temporary accommodation, which clearly need to be rectified as soon as possible.

“The council is working at pace to resolve this, and we are speaking with both Mr Brazier and the temporary accommodation provider.

They added: “We intend to offer alternative, more suitable temporary accommodation to Mr Brazier within the next week, and will continue to seek permanent accommodation for him. We’ve also spoken with Mr Brazier about his medical status, so that we can ensure that the accommodation we provide meets his needs.

“We are sorry to hear about the issues that Mr Brazier has faced, and are working with him to resolve these as soon as possible.”

Cllr Sarah Williams, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning at Haringey Council, said: “We are sorry to hear about Mr Brazier’s health issues and his concerns about the temporary accommodation provided by Islington Council.

“We welcome Islington’s efforts to work with Mr Brazier to put this right, despite the challenges they and all councils face from the worsening housing crisis in London.

“We hope the matter can be resolved soon and settled accommodation is found by Islington that meets Mr Brazier’s needs.”