A mum in a housing association flat is still waiting to move out of her mould-covered home - six years after she first reported the problem.
The mum, who has asked to not be named, lives in Newton Heath with her six-year-old daughter. The pair live in a Northwards Housing property which has been plagued by dampness under the floorboards.
Investigations by Northwards Housing contractors have found that the area underneath the floor of the property is damp. Further work from the mum, who took up the flooring herself, found it was ‘soaking wet’ — according to the grandmother of the six-year-old. Now, both mum and grandmother say their little one’s health is suffering.
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“I worry. [My daughter] knows herself. She asks ‘have I got a cold because of the damp?’. She knows what’s what,” the mum told the Manchester Evening News. “They need to pull their fingers out. There are houses that are adequate in the area that I could move into on a temporary basis. I am getting nowhere and I am banging my head against the wall.”
The grand added: “I am really worried because she keep getting a cold, but the mattresses are wet. She cannot buy new ones because they will go the same again.
"It grows up the wall, she’s moved the beds away [from the wall]. It’s the second bed she’s bought.”
For their part, Northwards have offered the family an alternative property — but the mum has rejected it, for fears over her family’s safety. She explained: “It’s a crack den, what they want to move me into.
“They are trying to say I am turning my nose up but I would not let a dog live in [this flat].
"It’s next to a ginnel which is next to wasteland and that’s where drug dealers congregate. It’s not secure and I have a dog. All the windows have been smashed, too.
“I know where to go and where not to go here,” the grandmother added, who has lived in Newton Heath for decades. “This flat definitely is where not to go.”
After the Manchester Evening News contacted the council about the family’s situation, a spokesperson said that the authority is ‘continuing to work on behalf of the resident to find suitable alternative accommodation’ to allow work to address the mould to take place.
“We take any reports of mould and damp very seriously and we look to rectify these issues as quickly as possible,” a statement from the council said. “In some instances we will look to move a resident into separate accommodation while the cause of damp is investigated – as is the case at this property.
“The City Council has agreed to find alternative temporary accommodation for the resident while an independent surveyor carries out intrusive surveys of the home – and any works recommended by the surveyor will be undertaken immediately by the Council.
“The resident has already been offered a nearby like-for-like property to move from her current home and allow the surveys to be carried out. This property was unfortunately turned down, but the Council will continue to work on behalf of the resident to find suitable alternative accommodation so the surveys and any associated works can be done in their absence.”
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