Basingstoke: family ill waiting for roof repairs, mother says

A woman has said her family has become ill waiting for her housing association to fix a hole in the roof of her flat.

Mother-of-three Sharmaine Stuart said mould had grown on her daughter's cot mattress in her home in Basingstoke, Hampshire, over the last three weeks.

During that time another of her children had to be treated in hospital for a viral infection.

Sovereign Housing Association said repairs were being done.

Ms Stuart, 25, said part of the ceiling above a cupboard in her bathroom collapsed on 3 November and that she notified the housing association straight away.

But the recent wet weather has meant the flat has got very damp, she said.

Ms Stuart, who has three young daughters aged five, 20 months and eight months, said the bedroom where she and her youngest usually sleep is so bad they moved into the living room.

She said her middle daughter had been hospitalised because of bronchiolitis, a common chest infection that affects babies and children under two.

Ms Stuart told the BBC mould had been a problem last winter, but in recent weeks the children had suffered chest problems, and she had swollen eyes.

"I don't feel Sovereign have left me in a flat my children can live in. They're just getting ill, it's not a liveable situation," she said.

The association, which manages 61,000 homes, said it replaced the double glazing last winter and washed down mould. It also said it made a temporary repair to the roof last week.

In a statement it said: "We hope the repairs to the tiling on the roof can be completed today.

"We have every sympathy for Sharmaine, especially as members of her family have been unwell.

"In some cases, such as where scaffolding is required, completing a repair takes longer than we would want."

The housing association said it would replace the cot mattress and "complete all the outstanding works required at Sharmaine's home as quickly as we can".

It said it had committed £3m to provide advice, guidance and direct support from its hardship fund.

The dangers of damp living conditions were highlighted by the death of Awaab Ishak.

Last week a coroner ruled the two-year-old died of a respiratory condition caused by exposure to mould in the family's flat in Rochdale.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove said the Housing Bill going through parliament will bring tougher regulation and hold failing landlords to account.

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