Conservatives in Reading are championing the case of an Abbey ward resident in desperate need of suitable accommodation who has to date been let down by Reading Borough Council.

Georgiana Woolf suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. To go out, she needs to use a wheelchair; just to move around her house, she needs to use crutches. She requires ever increasing amounts of medical care and even a common cold can cause her condition to deteriorate.

Yet despite being identified by Reading Borough Council as a high priority case, the records on its client website show her as a person with ‘NO MOBILITY ISSUES’ and have so far taken over 4 months to find suitable council accommodation to meet her needs.

Georgiana says, “My current house is on two floors. I find it very difficult if not impossible to climb the stairs on my own. I need help just to get to the toilet. A bungalow or a ground floor flat would really help with my mobility needs.  If there was a second bedroom it would also help in case my husband falls ill. What might be really mild for him can end up being very serious for me, so I need to try and avoid catching things off him. No one from Reading’s Housing Department has ever been to see me and my only hope of getting suitable accommodation is to bid for available properties using their website.”

Abbey Ward Conservative campaigner Andrew Waters visited Georgiana and has promised to help fight her case. Dismayed by what he heard, Andrew Waters said, “Yet again this council is slow in addressing its responsibilities towards its residents. Here we have a young woman who, despite her difficulties, remains in full time employment and, with the support of her husband, is paying council tax and is not getting the quality of support to which she is entitled. As I understand, her health workers have also been in touch with Reading Council, requesting help with Georgiana’s accommodation needs, but as yet, to no avail. It’s about time that the Housing Department stopped hiding behind web-based technology and got out to help those in serious need like Georgiana.”

Reading East MP Rob Wilson stated, “I have made representations to Reading Borough Council on Georgiana’s behalf and hope that she can be helped very quickly. In the meantime I will be working with Andrew Waters who is proving an excellent champion of local people.”

5th February 2010