A disabled man who has lived in the same Shoebury home since birth is facing eviction following the sudden death of his mother, leaving his family fighting to keep a roof over his head.
Jordan Cairnduff, 27, who has autism and severe learning disabilities, has been told he must leave the property in Coln Drive despite having lived there his entire life. The notice was issued after the death of his mother and primary carer on December 27 last year, just two days after Christmas. She is understood to have died unexpectedly from a deep vein thrombosis.
Jordan's half-brother, Shane Brown, says the family is devastated and fears the impact the move could have on a man he describes as being heavily reliant on routine, familiarity and family support. “My brother is like a child in a grown man’s body and depends on family for almost everything,” Shane said. “He was born at the property in 1998 and has lived there ever since.”
Following their mother’s death, Shane applied to Delta Housing, which manages the property, to have the tenancy transferred to Jordan so he could remain in the home. However, the request was refused. The housing association said Jordan’s mother had already succeeded to the tenancy after the death of their father in 2019, meaning a further succession was not permitted under the rules.
Shane disputes that interpretation and argues the circumstances of the case warrant a discretionary approach. “The difficulty with that is my father had not lived at the Shoebury property since 1996,” he said. “He moved out and the same housing association gave him a new tenancy at another property in 1997, where he lived with his new wife until he died in May 2019. We appealed and I pointed out that Jordan’s disability should qualify him for a discretionary tenancy under the association’s own policy.”
A spokesman for Delta Housing said: “We were saddened to learn of the death of our customer and appreciate this has been an extremely difficult time for the family. We recognise that this is a complex case and are reviewing the circumstances. We will be in contact with the family shortly.”
Source: echo-news.co.uk
