Cladding crisis: Cancer research scientist at risk of job loss due to unsellable home
28 January 2021, 20:21
'Each night I think about how I'll get out if there's a fire'
This cancer research scientist is at serious risk of losing her job because she is stuck in an unsellable home and cannot relocate.
In 2020, LBC uncovered that millions of desperate people are trapped in homes with unsafe cladding which has rendered their properties entirely worthless.
Dr Natalie Cureton bought her flat six years ago as a first-time-buyer, having "worked hard and saved hard" to do so.
Three years ago Dr Cureton and her partner wanted to remortgage their property and found out they had dangerous cladding, meaning their valuation came back as zero pounds.
"That's left myself and everyone living in the building fearful because it's dangerous cladding, but also completely trapped," she said.
"I worked really hard, I got a PhD, I now work as a cancer research scientist...but my job is relocating to a different city and at the moment I'm unable to sell my home.
"Unless I'm able to sell my home, I'm not going to be able to relocate with that job and I'm likely going to need to leave the job."
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She told Eddie: "Every night when I go to sleep literally the last thing I think about is if the fire alarm goes off, how am I going to get out?
"We've all seen what happened at Grenfell and it was tragic and it becomes very real. For me it's a huge safety issue and something you have to live with everyday."
Dr Cureton told Eddie there has been no progress in the cladding being made safe; her building has applied to the building safety fund however the scope of the fund is quite limited.
"I was 13 years old when my building was being completed and I'm being asked to fix issues that happened that I had no part in the making of," Dr Cureton said.
She branded the Government's response as disappointing, considering they are the "party of home ownership".
Exclusive: LBC uncovers ‘forged’ cladding-safety certificates, costing victims £1000s
