Health fears for children in mouldy home
A FAMILY living in a property affected by mould says that the damp issues are so bad they resulted in their young daughter being taken to hospital.
Natasha Young lives in a Cornwall Housing property in Tower Road, Launceston, with her partner, Jon, and their three children, Frankie, Ellie and George.
Despite having a GP letter confirming that the mould has led to breathing difficulties and other health problems for Frankie, and a letter from a Cornwall Council health worker advising the family be moved, they remain in the property. Natasha says her requests to be rehoused are being “fobbed off” by the council.
The family’s difficulties come after an inquest heard that the death of Awaab Ishak, a one-year-old from Rochdale, was linked to mould at his home. Natasha, who moved into the property in early November last year, said: “I was aware of problems at the property before we moved in but we were told they had been rectified with a dehumidifier and fan system. But by December it was starting to come through again and it’s getting worse. The council keep fobbing me off.
“A company came out and did a review and found that the damp was way over the legal level. My daughter has been in hospital on numerous occasions, one for a borderline cardiac arrest. She has respiratory issues but never had them before moving here. She’s also fine when not at home.
“I’m worried not only for my baby but my two other children as well. I’m at my wits’ end and have had enough now. It’s absolutely disgusting and the mould is in every room.”
A letter from Frankie’s GP states that the doctor is concerned that Frankie is developing mould allergy symptoms. It adds that concerns about the mould were raised during Frankie’s hospital admittance and that she advises the family are moved out to prevent any future health issues. A letter from the Cornwall Council health visitor states: “I am supporting this decision for the parents to move to a more suitable property for their three children. The reason for this request is due to the damp the family are currently experiencing in their current property which is likely having an effect on their daughter’s health.”
A Cornwall Housing statement said: “We take seriously our responsibilities as the landlord of more than 10,000 social homes across Cornwall. The health and safety of our tenants is our priority and when we are made aware of an issue with damp and mould we will work with tenants to identify the cause and how to resolve the issue. We cannot comment on specific cases, but we have worked with the tenant to address the concerns identified.
“Cornwall Housing Ltd has established a dedicated taskforce to lead the work on addressing damp and mould to ensure a resident focused, consistent and consolidated approach in dealing with the issues.”