London, 8 October 2025 – Sam Habeeb, Local Campaigner and former Parliamentary Candidate for Ealing North, today issued a damning statement after receiving repeated, desperate cries for help from families trapped in inhumane living conditions at Margaret Cassidy House.
“Our firsthand visits reveal a profound and shocking truth: this is not just poor management; this is a scandalous failure of Ealing Council’s duty of care. After visiting over 20 families, it’s clear that this accommodation is profoundly unfit for human habitation.” Said Sam Habeeb
The case of Jeena Mohialdeen and her family is a stark example of this council’s neglect. They have been left for years in an environment plagued by severe insect infestations, pervasive damp, and toxic mould, with a severe lack of basic amenities. These conditions have inflicted significant physical and psychological suffering, including widespread skin diseases, on both children and adults.
We initially raised these issues through a joint complaint, but many families, terrified of becoming homeless; were forced to withdraw their names, fearing retaliatory eviction by the landlord and the local authorities. Jeena Mohialdeen persisted, and tragically, the residents’ worst fears have now been realised: her family received a decision to discharge them from the housing duty and evict them from their current unsuitable accommodation.
This is an act of utter cowardice and cruelty by Ealing Council. The decision failed to properly address the longstanding complaints and overwhelming evidence of the conditions. Instead, it seems to have conveniently framed the issue as a response to ‘provocation’ by the landlord a transparent attempt to silence vulnerable tenants and shield themselves from accountability. Jeena’s household includes two individuals with disabilities, already under immense strain. Rather than protecting the most vulnerable in our community, Ealing Council has chosen to exacerbate their suffering and push them to the brink.
I met with Jeena and other families when I visited the place and I saw the harrowing experience they live in.
Jeena told me that she was lobbying the council and pressure them to improve the accommodation but invain. She told me when in tears “I must also highlight that my own family, as residents, have endured these exact same unbearable conditions at Cassidy House. For months, we have lived without essential facilities like a functioning cooker or proper shower, surrounded by constant leaks, infestations of rats and cockroaches, and ongoing harassment. These conditions have damaged our health and left us in constant fear of losing the only shelter we have. This is not a distant policy failure; it is a personal, ongoing crisis inflicted by this Council’s indifference.”
Ealing Council Must Act Now; dodgy deals with rogue Landlords just stop
No family especially those with children and individuals with disabilities, should be left in such degrading and harmful living conditions. Ealing Council has a moral and legal obligation to provide safe, dignified housing. This appalling situation is a stain on the conscience of this administration.
I condemn Ealing Council for their gross failure to manage, inspect, and enforce proper standards, allowing private landlords like Altwood Company to profit from human misery.
We urgently call on Ealing Council to immediately:
1- Reverse the decision against Jeena Mohialdeen’s family and rehouse them in genuinely suitable, safe accommodation.
2- Take immediate, robust action to rectify the inhumane conditions for all residents at Margaret Cassidy House.
3- Launch a full, independent investigation into the Council’s management of this appalling situation.
Sam Habeeb
Local Campaigner and former Parliamentary Candidate for Ealing North
