EXCLUSIVE: ‘The conditions here are awful, the state of the bathrooms, the rubbish filled corridors and the lack of support for the youngsters is terrible’-YMCA resident hits out at the dirty building.

‘I have witnessed some shocking things whilst living here.’

A Romford man who has been living at the YMCA for over a year has hit out at the disgusting state the building is left it. Stuart, who was a domestic violence victim was moved into the YMCA as there was no other place for him and the council could not find him accommodation. After a year of living at the Rush Green building he is angry at the poor maintenance, lack of support and appalling hygiene conditions.

He told the Havering Daily: “I have witnessed some shocking things whilst living here. The state of the bathrooms is disgusting, the cleanliness of the toilets, the poor food and the complete lack of help the youngsters here are given.

“I know beggars can’t be choosers, but this really is awful. This place needs a big improvement. There are residents here who have been living in this building for five years and have literally no way out of here. They take 60% of your wages when you get a job, so how on earth are you supposed to find the money to move out?”

Stuart moved in in January 2023 and despite speaking to the council department, he is still living at the YMCA.

He continued: “I have complained repeatedly about people knocking on my door trying to sell me drugs. There are many people living here who have drug problems. I have said all this to the Housing officer who is aware of the situation.”

There are numerous other residents living at the YMCA who are domestic violence victims. They are currently working and trying to find a place of accommodation, but due to the fact that they have to pay 60% of their wages to the YMCA, they cannot afford a rent deposit and the council will not place them on the housing list as they have not been living in the borough for over seven years. As a result, they find themselves trapped in this situation with no way out.

Emily Fuller, Head of Housing for Romford told the Havering Daily:

“YMCA Romford was built in the 1960s and we struggle on a daily basis to maintain it and repair issues. However, there is a huge part that our residents play in this, and it’s simply a case of respecting the facilities and keeping their space clean and tidy.

 “We provide a daily cleaning service on each floor, and our hardworking team thoroughly clean the communal bathrooms and empty shared bins. Residents are expected to put their own rubbish in the skip provided – but we know this does not always happen.

 “By majority, our residents engage with our amazing Housing team, who work tirelessly to provide support on a case by case basis. As a hostel, we provide low level support for young people who really need somewhere to stay, but we’re finding more and more since the pandemic, that people who come to us have higher needs particularly in regards to mental health.

 “This in itself is a huge challenge for our Housing staff who are not trained or equipped to help those with high needs, which can throw up its own challenges. We do our very best, always putting young people at the heart of what we do within the restrains of our current facilities. It’s why the redevelopment of Romford is so needed and in process.

 “The building crisis and lack of affordable move-on accommodation available in Barking & Dagenham and Havering is also a big road block for many of our residents who are ready to start living independently.”

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