More council tenants speak out about damp problems (From York Press)

More York council house tenants speak out about damp problems

9:06am Monday 8th March 2010 in Letters By Nicola Fifield, Senior reporter

A YORK councillor is putting pressure on housing chiefs to take urgent action after council tenants complained of damp problems in their homes.

Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing has taken up the cause following a story in The Press about a couple who claim City of York’s Council’s failure to resolve the damp problem in their home almost cost the life of their two-week-old baby, who was rushed to hospital with acute breathing problems.

She said she had since been contacted by four council tenants in the Acomb ward who had reported a damp problem in their property in the past 12 months and had failed to get any help. Steve Waddington, the council’s head of housing services, disputes the tenants’ claims.

Shelley Allison, of Lindsey Avenue, Acomb, said: “Not only is the thick, black mould an eyesore, it also smells of damp in my bedroom and I hate sleeping in there.

“The condensation in my living room drips yellow from my ceiling due to the previous tenant having been a heavy smoker.

“The council has said it is caused by condensation and that it is not damp. But I do everything I can not to cause condensation.

“Now the mould is coming through into my bathroom. I am worried my daughter’s health is going to suffer and feel very stressed about it as it seems never-ending. I hate being at home because I’m sick of looking at and smelling the mould.”

Coun Simpson-Laing said she was “absolutely appalled” at the council’s treatment of Miss Allison.

She said: “Council housing is supposed to be a safety net for those that cannot afford market rents, rather than somewhere that makes them ill.

“It is a disgrace and an indictment on the council that anyone has to put up with this kind of housing.”

Meanwhile, Charlotte Recchia and Kenny Brown, who live in a council flat in Walmgate with their four-month-old baby, have also contacted The Press. Ms Recchia said: “The mould is growing up the walls in the bedroom, the living room and toilet and it’s also all around the carpets. It smells so musty and I’m so worried about the effect on our baby.

“A surveyor told us that it was caused by condensation and that we should open our windows, but I explained we can’t open our windows because smokers congregate outside and the smoke comes in through our bedroom window.”

Response from City of York Council

Steve Waddington, the council’s head of housing services, denied the claim by Coun Simpson-Laing that Miss Allison’s property was “unfit”.

He said following an inspection on January 7, a surveyor found dampness on the bedroom ceiling, which he said was caused by insulation in the loft being moved in order to board out two large strips of the loft to store belongings.

He said: “A job has been raised to have the insulation relaid consistently everywhere. The dampness corresponded exactly to where there was no insulation and hopefully this will resolve the problem.

“Unfortunately this work has not been carried out yet and we apologise for this.”

He said where defects had been identified on other properties in the Lindsey Avenue estate the council would carry out necessary repairs.

However, where the problems were solely due to condensation, he said the council was limited as to what work could be carried out.

He said when the council had sent a surveyor to inspect the flat in Walmgate he had found no building defects associated with damp.

He said the small amount of mould in the bathroom/toilet and lounge was due to condensation.

“The customers were advised as to how to reduce the level of condensation within their home and they were left with an advice leaflet,” he said.