Inside the 'horrible mouldy home' where mum fears for health of kids

02 March 2023 , 08:44

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Heather and her children all have asthma

A mum is fearing for the health of her children, as they continue living in a mouldy property.

Heather Leonard's "horrible" temporary accommodation in Bartley Green, Birmingham, is now covered in mould, she claimed.

She has been on Birmingham City Council's waiting list for over two years and said one of her children has been "coughing for months".

Both of her two children are asthmatic and one of them has severe autism.

Heather, 52, said: "All three of us have asthma and my son had a chest infection. He's been coughing for months."

London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard

Second City Housing oversees the upkeep of the house and said steps were taken to treat the mould.

However, maintenance manager Steve Lal said the condition of the property is also the responsibility of the tenant.

Heather tackled the mould but it quickly came back

Mr Lal said dehumidifiers were provided to the tenant and that maintenance workers attended the property - but Heather was not there to let them in.

He told BirminghamLive: "We are aware there have been issues at the property. We sent dehumidifiers to help with the mould.

"It is an old property. It needs a bit of air circulating. Drying damp clothes in the property, and when having a bath or shower most people are going to close the windows and that's how mould starts."

Heather said she has been using food banks

Heather explained she had taken to buying anti mould spray to treat the problem herself, but claimed it only stopped the rot for a short while.

"It killed it, but it came back," she complained.

"It is worrying," she added. "I've had two chest infections and my son has just been treated for a chest infection. He has had to sleep in another room."

Ms Leonard said she was left frustrated about how long it had taken to get the problems sorted.

Heather said her current situation was 'worrying'

"They say 'we're dealing with it', but I have to call them. They seem to just tell me that to placate me so I leave them alone."

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Second City Housing was contacted by BirminghamLive, and has visited the property since.

Heating the home is also an issue for Heather, who has been told that mould is caused in part by damp, cold air. She said she is currently using food banks and is finding it difficult to get by.

Second City Housing oversees the upkeep of the property

Earlier this year, attention was drawn to health problems caused by mould in homes after the death of toddler Awaab Ishak.

Awaab, just two when he died in December 2020, passed away from a respiratory condition caused by mould in a flat in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

Richard Guttridge