Overcrowding hampers efforts to tackle damp and mould, council claims

Haringey Council is coming under increasing pressure to tackle rising cases of hazardous mould in its properties, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

Mould at Elena Michael's property (submitted) — Mould at a Tottenham property (credit Elena Michael)

Overcrowded homes are posing a significant challenge to Haringey Council’s efforts to tackle damp and mould problems.

The borough has more than 12,000 families waiting to be housed, and many are living in accommodation that is too small for their needs – meaning they are more likely to be affected by damp and mould.

Council bosses presented an update on efforts to tackle damp and mould to a meeting of the housing, planning and development scrutiny panel on Tuesday (27th).

The issue has recently come into focus following several high-profile incidents around the UK, including the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who was found to have died from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in a housing association home in Rochdale.

Social landlords have been told by the Housing Ombudsman to take a “zero tolerance” approach to damp and mould and take responsibility for the problems rather than blaming residents. The ombudsman is currently investigating Haringey Council for “persistent poor performance over damp and mould complaints”.

A report presented to Tuesday’s scrutiny meeting revealed the council has identified 16 cases of ‘category one’ damp and mould – the most severe cases – in its housing stock. An initial analysis suggested the figure could be as high as 64 cases, but it was reduced following health and safety assessments.

The report does not reveal the number of category two or ‘moderate’ cases of damp and mould.

Fuel poverty and overcrowding are among the key causes of damp and mould, according to the report. Around 13,000 families in Haringey live in fuel poverty, meaning they cannot afford to heat their homes properly. Figures from January last year revealed more than 2,000 households waiting for social housing were living in overcrowded accommodation.

Jahedur Rahman, the council’s operational director for housing service and building safety, told the meeting there was not a lot the authority could do about overcrowding “as a landlord”.

He added: “We’ve got a waiting list of just over 12,000 families, and some of the issues of damp and mould are where you have got a family of six sleeping in one bedroom. While we can go in and temporarily do the works, the reality is it [the damp and mould] is likely to return.”

Under questioning from the committee about how the council was helping residents, Jahedur said it provided dehumidifiers to tenants and covered the cost of running the machines.

He added that a “financial inclusion team” applies for grants and other funding to help people living in poverty.

Admitting that the council is “just not building enough homes to meet the demand in Haringey”, Jahedur revealed the civic centre is also reviewing its lettings policy and considering whether to give a higher priority to families in overcrowded housing.

The council is also investing in its stock to bring all homes up to the decent homes standard, which is expected to take five years.

The civic centre has set a target of providing 3,000 new council homes by 2031 after beginning an extensive housebuilding programme in 2018.

David Joyce, the council’s director of placemaking and housing, said the authority was prioritising under-occupiers for new one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, which frees up family-sized homes.

Earlier this year, the council agreed a damp and mould policy setting out its responsibilities to tenants, including clear timetables for carrying out repairs. It also offers to move families out of their homes temporarily while work takes place to remove the mould.

A special hotline was launched on 23rd March to allow residents to report cases of damp and mould, and it has since received more than 500 calls.

The council also uses licensing schemes to ensure landlords keep their homes in good condition and can take enforcement action against those who fail to complete maintenance work.

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