10 January 2024 , 20:56
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Residents of a block of flats have warned the mould is so extreme it drips from their ceilings amid fears the buildings could “collapse”.
The homes in Iveagh House in Brixton were branded 'semi-luxury' when they were built in the early 1950s. However today people, including residents Ashley Lloyd, are having to stick bin bags to the ceiling to catch the mouldy black glue-like substance which has ruined furniture. After months of complaining about conditions, some of the residents have finally been moved to other flats in the building while repairs take place. But many say the properties they have been moved into have the same underlying problems with damp.
Diana Moore-Gibson says she is coughing a lot since the mould appeared (Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon)Ashley, 36, told MyLondon: “There’re clear cracks across the ceiling and every time it rains it is raining in my house. Mould itself has been dripping down my home and it creates a black glue-like substance.
“You can see it dripping on the floor. I have put bags up so it will hold the glue. Even the microwave has mould inside. It has ruined my blinds and my sofa. I had to get rid of my cooker. My bed was nearly £2,000 and it has mould dripping on it. There’s black slime all over one wall and half of the ceiling. I can’t even eat in here.”
“I’ve got video evidence of the water four inches high sitting on the roof. And it’s like a sponge. We are waiting, like it’s a ticking time bomb. We are worried the building is going to collapse.” Ashley is one of numerous residents of the block managed by housing association, The Guinness Partnership, to have his furniture ruined by severe damp which infiltrated flats in the building on Loughborough Road.
London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard
Many residents also currently have no heating while the block’s system is replaced. The works are part of the building’s £12million refurbishment tenants say has been plagued with problems from the outset.
Diana Moore-Gibson, 60, who lives on the top floor of Iveagh House with her husband, said: “They changed all the windows and doors and all of a sudden there’s damp everywhere. I don’t particularly want to touch it. I am coughing a lot more since the damp [appeared].”
A spokesperson from the housing association said: “Over recent years we had seen an increase in the number of repairs reported at Iveagh House, including cases of damp and mould. It is for this reason that we are on site with a £12m programme of works to improve Iveagh House. Work ongoing over coming months will improve residents’ homes and will make the building a better and safer place to live. We apologise profusely for the conditions experienced by some residents, and we apologise for any inconvenience whilst we carry out works.
Another resident, Mehret Rusom, in her home (Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon)“As part of this work we have decommissioned an aged and increasingly unreliable heating system, which was at risk of failing over the winter months. We are in the process of installing the new system, which is now operating in the communal areas and some flats. We have offered all residents temporary heaters and are funding the energy costs associated with this. The homes are being connected to the local heat network giving residents access to a reliable and efficient source of warmth."