Hepatitis C victim set to be evicted

A Housing Association tenant suffering from a potentially fatal illness will be evicted next month.

Guillaume Sacchini, who has hepatitis C, lost possession of his flat in Iverson Road, West Hampstead, at a Central London County Court hearing on July 4.

Housing Association Pathmeads said he must leave the property on August 15 because the lease on the block has expired, and it must be returned to its owners, Network Rail, formerly Railtrack.

But the 48-year-old, whose tenancy terms do not entitle him to be rehoused, claims he was promised permanent housing three years ago.

Mr. Sacchini, who is chronically depressed, told the Ham&High he was given the Iverson Road flat after losing his previous West Hampstead Housing Association (WHHA) home in Lymington Road, West Hampstead, in 2000.

 He claims that a WHHA housing officer made a verbal promise that he would be rehoused when the flat returned to its owners.

But WHHA was taken over by housing group Genesis in 2001 and housing officers at Genesis' temporary housing arm, Pathmeads, did not recognise the previous agreement.

The former acupuncturist said he cannot work because of his illness and believes he may die in the next few years.

He said: "I was told I was going to be rehoused, but that isn't going to happen now. I am told that I can get Bed-and-Breakfast, but I can't see myself in bed and breakfast. I feel like crying about it."

David Fraser, who said he helped Mr. Sacchini get the home in Iverson Road, claims he witnessed the promise.

"We went down in 2000 to see the housing officer together and we looked at a couple of places. When Guillaume decided on the place at Iverson Road, he was told he would be rehoused after six months to a year."

A Pathmeads spokesman said: "Mr. Sacchini was evicted because we need to present the building he lived in to its owners as empty (sic).

"There is currently no suitable housing available for Mr. Sacchini and he is not eligible for rehousing. We always do out utmost to rehouse people whenever it is in our power."