Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha pleads with other landlords to help NHS staff battling coronavirus outbreak

EXCLUSIVE
Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha is offering free accomodation to NHS workers battling the coronavirus outbreak
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Wilfried Zaha has called on more landlords to open the doors of their empty properties to NHS staff battling the coronavirus outbreak in London.

Last week, the Crystal Palace star offered free use of 50 apartments owned by his business accommodation company ZoProperties to ease the strain on hospital workers.

Zaha and his business partner, Obi Williams, have been inundated with requests and have passed on the allocation process to NHS management.

They expect all their properties to be full by Wednesday and Zaha has urged more people to make significant donations to the collective fight against coronavirus.

"We have done more than enough, 50 apartments, there is only so much we can do," Zaha told Standard Sport. "If other people don't want to follow the path that we have tried to set out then I don't know what else we can do.

“If people can help it would me much appreciated, because I get messages myself from people talking about how they need a place and how it would be appreciated, if I could I would.

"If people are willing to help we will welcome them with open arms, people just have to be willing to do it.”

Zaha and Williams offered their properties to hospital workers after housing Dr Annie Hunningher, an NHS anaesthetist at the Royal London Hospital who had symptoms related to coronavirus but is now recovering and close to being allowed back to work.

"We need more landlords and homeowners to step up and help NHS staff to work and keep their families safe," said Dr Hunningher.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has offered free accommodation at the Millennium Hotel next to Stamford Bridge to NHS staff, while Gary Neville has opened up his two hotels in Manchester.

Government figures last year showed that London had more than 22,000 empty properties, worth more than £10.7billion.

Zaha’s business partner Williams, who has now setup a JustGiving page so others who do not have properties to offer can chip in, said: "I've spent every day since Friday trying to get landlords, property companies on board.

"I've only had a friend come back to me and they are already helping out in Sheffield and a private landlord who has one property who just said, 'take my apartment'.

"It has not been easy. Everyone has this fantasy of everyone pulling together, in all honesty corporate Britain is not in line with the reality of what is happening now.

"If there are any landlords or property companies out there, if the association for serviced apartment providers want to help, please help. We need properties right now."

Those who want to donate to the JustGiving page can do so at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/covid-19nhshousing?utm_term=aW36mBYyk.

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