Judit Hajner has stage three lung cancer and wants a safe, comfortable home to see out her days.
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But the 68-year-old Gwynneville resident has been forced to sleep on her couch due to mould growing in the bedroom of her public housing home, which she says the department would not remove despite her requests.
It was perhaps the most serious of a litany of problems in her home that she tried to have fixed, from aged and worn floor coverings to missing tiles in the bathroom that had fallen off over time.
The artist and grandmother said people came to look at the problems, but they were never addressed, even after trying for eight years.
"I just don't understand it, I don't understand why they keep taking photos but never do anything," Ms Hajner said.
Ms Hajner said she had tried to clean the walls and mould herself, but at her age and in her health it was not easy.
She believed water building up in the roof gutters had contributed to the problem but said she was told that cleaning them out was not a Homes NSW responsibility.
But Ms Hajner said she could not afford the cost of having someone clear out the gutters.
Speaking to the Mercury earlier this month she became emotional as she described the toll that the state of her home had had on her, even as she expressed her gratitude for what the government had provided.
"I'm on my last legs, physically and psychologically," she said.
It was only after the Mercury contacted Homes NSW for comment on Ms Hajner's situation that action was taken on these issues.
A spokesperson for the agency said on Tuesday, April 16 that all mould had been removed, repair works to walls and cornices had been completed, and the gutters had been cleaned.
Ms Hajner said on Wednesday that while the gutters had been cleaned, they had collapsed and needed to be reattached.
"Homes NSW takes all concerns about building quality and the health and safety of residents very seriously," the spokesperson said.
"We know current response times on maintenance requests have deteriorated.
"Homes NSW has been established to drive improvements in these timeframes and improve customer service to our tenants."
The spokesperson said Homes NSW requested an urgent inspection of Ms Hajner's house for mould, and to assess other issues.
While clearing gutters of single-storey homes was the responsibility of the occupants, the spokesperson said, "we understand that this may be difficult for some tenants due to various circumstances".
"Homes NSW is investigating options to revise the policy to better service the needs of elderly tenants and people with a disability," they said.
No action on the mould was taken when Ms Hajner called the maintenance line in June 2023 because surface mould was considered the responsibility of a tenant to address, according to the repairs framework.
A Homes NSW contractor again attended Ms Hajner's home on Tuesday, April 16 and further works were approved.
These include resurfacing the bath, replacing tiles, replacing carpet in the bedroom, replacing the vinyl flooring in the kitchen and laundry, fully painting the inside of the house, laying splashback tiles in the kitchen, replacing cupboard doors, benchtops and drawer fronts, and replacing the internal door to the kitchen.
These works should be finished by the end of May.
The NSW government in 2023 overhauled the way it dealt with maintenance requests from public housing tenants in an attempt to improve its response.
Do you know more about this issue? Email natalie.croxon@austcommunitymedia.com.au