Blind man left with ‘no dignity’ after two-year delay in getting guide dog while stuck on housing waiting list

A blind man has described being “broken” while facing a two-year delay in getting a guide dog because he was stuck on a social housing waiting list.

When Ray Clements began to lose his sight three years ago, the shared house he was living in quickly became untenable as he could not trip hazards.

The 51-year-old began sleeping on his brother’s sofa in Liverpool for what he thought would be a short period as he awaited suitable social housing.

However, almost two years later he still had not been given permanent accommodation.

After a year of staying with his brother, Ray said he felt like a burden and began to sofa surf with friends – but would sometimes find himself sleeping on the street at night.

Not only did his time awaiting a safe home drastically impact his mental health, he was unable to get a guide dog without a permanent address and was constantly struggling to navigate everyday life with the lack of familiar surroundings.

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Speaking about his time waiting for a home, Ray told The Independent: “When I moved to my brother’s house, I had done an assessment to get a guide dog but because I was at my brother’s house they had to pause the assessment until I had my own property because they can’t assess it or train the dog properly.

“I was so broken. I had no dignity left and was really struggling with my mental health.

“I felt like someone had pressed pause on my life and I had no control over when that pause ended. My independence was disappearing and I felt isolated even though I had people around me.”

Pete Osbourne, deputy CEO at Guide Dogs UK, which provides dogs for those in need, told The Independent: “The welfare of our dogs is paramount and it is essential for a new guide dog partnership to have a stable environment in an area the person knows well and where Guide Dogs can support the partnership to flourish. Guide Dogs also needs to assess a home environment to ensure it is suitable for one of our dogs.”

Ray was moved into a hotel for 11 months before he finally moved into his own flat with the help of Crisis last October. Since having his own home, his mental and physical health has improved vastly.

He said: “I was able to have training around my local area and in my kitchen which has made such an incredible difference. I’ve also been accepted for a guide dog and feel like I have a real community here.”

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New research has shown nearly three quarters, 73 per cent, of people surveyed on UK social housing waiting lists experienced problems with their accommodation that was harmful to their health.

The research – which comes from national homelessness charity Crisis, Lloyds Banking Group and Simon Community Northern Ireland – surveyed more than 1,000 adults who are on social housing waiting lists or in social housing.

Despite there being over 1.5 million UK households on social housing waiting list, the UK saw a net loss of over 12,000 social homes in England in 2023. A quarter of renters will now spend between five and ten years waiting for a social home.

Nearly two thirds said the condition of their current property had negatively impacted their mental health and over half said their lives were on hold as they awaited a suitable property, with 47 per cent saying they were putting off starting a family.

Matt Downie, chief executive at  Crisis, said: “It’s clear there is no time to wait to deliver the social housing we need to tackle homelessness. This report lays bare how our broken housing system is endangering people’s health, how it’s putting lives on hold and forcing parents to share beds with their children.”