Why an Aussie living with an intellectual disability has been forced to shower outside
A mentally challenged man has no choice but to shower in his front yard while waiting for repairs to his bathroom.
Harold Kinross, 62, was waiting for a new bathroom in his townhouse in Nailsworth, Adelaide, after termites were found in it last October.
Since workers removed the toilet, sink, shower and walls in his upstairs bathroom, nothing has been done.
Not only has restoration work not yet begun, the termite infestation continues.
The public housing tenant has lived in the same townhouse for 28 years.
Harold Kinross, 62, has to shower in his front garden after waiting four months for bathroom repairs
The portable shower makes Mr Kinross feel humiliated and he worries that the neighbors will see him showering. He showers around 5:30 now, so he’s not embarrassed
South Australia Housing’s band-aid solution was to install a portable shower in his front garden.
Mr Kinross said his daily routine has changed dramatically since the termites were found.
“I have to come out here around 4:30 in the morning because I’m embarrassed that the neighbors might see me showering,” Mr Kinross said. 7News.
The regular tenant says he feels humiliated and checks to see if anyone is walking by before turning on the water.
Mr Kinross said the portable shower leaks onto the footpath and it feels like being in a ‘prison cell’.
The tenant said he has been an ideal tenant throughout his decades in the mansion and deserves better.
‘It’s disgusting. Minister, do something about it. I vote you to do your job,” he said.
The upstairs bathroom of Mr Kinross’ mansion is infested with termites, which are still there after being discovered months ago. Termites not only damage the structure of a home, they can also eat shoes, clothes and furniture
South Australian Human Services Minister Nat Cook said this it was difficult to say when replacement premises would be available for Mr Kinross.
“I understand how challenging it has been for this tenant and his family,” she said.
Choice Australia says termites have the potential to cause ‘major structural and economic damage’ to homes.
Termites eat the inside of a structure, leaving only a thin shell to protect themselves from the outside.
However, the hungry insects do not stop at devouring structural material.
The termites can also eat furniture, paper, fabric and clothing, shoes and soft plastics.