A MOTHER-of-four has said she fears for her children’s health because of the damp and mouldy conditions they are forced to live in.
Michele Skidmore has been in the Worcester Community Housing property on Goodrest Walk for 18 years and spent about £2,500 of her own money on repairs to try and fix black spores and water damage.
But the 46-year-old said the walls and floors in the kitchen and bedrooms were still dripping wet in the winter and blamed it for the three bronchial infections her 11-month-old daughter Zara had suffered.
She said: “I was in hospital for ten days during my last pregnancy with pneumonia which I put down to the damp and mould. My daughter is a happy baby but when she gets these infections she’s not herself and it hurts me to see her like that.
“I can put my heating on all day, it makes no difference. I wrap her in four blankets at night because I’m so scared of her getting cold but then I worry that will make her too hot. Every night I can’t sleep with worry. I just want it sorted for my daughter.”
Her health visitor had sent a letter to the housing association on the family’s behalf, which said it was an unacceptable place for a baby or family to live in and the state of the house was a risk to the child’s health.
Mrs Skidmore had also written to Worcester MP Robin Walker who chased up work to be done in the attic regarding condensation, but she said it did not fix the wider problem which she insisted could only be solved with insulation on the outside of the house.
Bosses at Fortis Property Care, which runs Worcester Community Housing, acknowledged the issue with surface mould in the house which they said was caused by condensation.
Marc Mayall, general manager of Fortis Property Care, said: “To help combat this we have taken all the measures we can including ensuring there is an extractor fan in the bathroom and kitchen, and also making sure there is an Envirovent system fitted.
“We have also given Mrs Skidmore detailed advice on how to deal with mould and condensation in the home.”
They have advised the best way to treat the mould was to maintain natural ventilation, good heating and to regularly clean affected areas with a mould cleaner. But Mr Mayall blamed a lack of government funding for not being able to get rid of it completely.
“Part of the solution would be to externally insulate the walls of the home,” he added. “We had originally planned to do this early this year as part of a government ECO funded programme but this funding has unfortunately been withdrawn.
“We understand that this is both frustrating and upsetting for Mrs Skidmore and apologise for that.
“Should the monies be put back in place in the future, the home will be on the list to be insulated.”
