THANET is in the grip of a social housing crisis, with many people waiting years for disability adaptations or even leaving the Isle to find a suitable home.

And with more than 4,500 households on Thanet council’s waiting list and a woeful central government disability grant, there is little light at the end of the tunnel.

John Nicholls, of Wharfdale Road, Margate, suffers from multiple sclerosis and has been waiting for a suitable home for years. He cannot shower or bath and has to sponge himself down every morning.

His kitchen is not adapted for wheelchair access, meaning he is in constant danger of scalding himself while cooking.

He said: "Because of my worsening condition in Feburary 2006 it was decided that my family and I should move into a three-bedroom house, with my wife as a 24/7 carer. We are seperated and she would need a seperate room.

"The Occupational Therapy Board have put me in Band A - urgent housing need - and my senior neurologist says that this flat is a danger to my health.

"I live on my own here and the other day my daughter had to come here to turn me onto my side after my legs went into spasm and I couldn’t move.

"Despite this, the council has not even sent someone out here to look at the flat. My application form was just two pages and most of that was taken up with my address so how do they know the conditions?"

Osteo-spondylitis sufferer Colin Potts is one of the lucky ones, who has been found a suitable home for adaptation. However, he has had to move to Whitstable - ironically one of the most expensive parts of east Kent - and leave his social network behind.

He said: "I have been Category A for just over two years but they just haven’t got the properties. I didn’t want to leave Thanet but when the house came up it had three bedrooms and a dining room that could be converted for me as a bedroom for when I can’t get upstairs.

"They’re building plenty of homes but they’re not bungalows, and most of them seem to be for old people. If I was 70 I would be fine!"

Cllr. Zita Wiltshire, Cabinet Member for Housing at TDC, said: "There is a backlog of people waiting for disabled facilities grants in Thanet, as there is elsewhere in the country.

"Thanet Council increased its input to the DFG budget this year, but unfortunately, this wasn’t matched by central government, as reported earlier this year in the Extra.

"It is very difficult to manage the size of our waiting list without increased funding. However, we have introduced a new priority system and other measures in an attempt to reduce the waiting times and impact for those people waiting.

"There are currently more than 4,500 households on the Council’s waiting list, with 165 in Band A, and 171 with an Occupational Therapy assessment, stating that they need an adapted property to move in to.

"One of the difficulties that this group faces, in addition to the lack of affordable housing generally, is that very little affordable housing in Thanet is suitable for adaptation, particularly where level access or a lift is required.

"Clearly, we have been affected by the 'Right to Buy’, but we are working with our Registered Social Landlord partners to identify new sites for building affordable homes, including having some affordable housing on large strategic sites like Westwood Cross, and where possible we will be have a percentage of adapted homes on those sites."