A disabled woman said she has been forced to use a long reach stick to clean toxic mould and damp on her ceilings since reporting a leak six years ago.
Wheelchair-user Kerdesan Gallardo, 44, who became paralysed after contracting polio, lives in a ‘neglected’ and cramped two-bedroom home with her husband and children, aged 18 and eight.
The Mirror visited her poorly-ventilated flat in the shadow of Grenfell Tower, where a walk through the neighbourhood is a painful reminder of the horrific blaze that claimed 72 lives.
Banners and posters are hung on street railings with the names of those who died. They include Kerdesan's friends who died in the 2017 fire caused by dangerous cladding.
Five years later, and despite promises of change, her grief has only been prolonged by the lack of any real reform in the housing sector, following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died from mould.
Now the Mirror has launched its End Housing Hell campaign demanding the government fixes its weak legislation and poor enforcement.
Have you been left in a home from hell? Email melissa.sigodo@reachplc.com
The mum-of-two said: “We shouldn’t live like this. This is England. People come here for a better life.
"We need change. Not next year when everyone has died.”
Kerdesan's home is teeming with condensation, as she claimed the only ventilation she has is a broken fan, and opening the windows during winter is unsustainable.
Her bathroom ceiling is covered in mould, and she said her shower curtain is often completely black from the toxic substance.
But not only have the walls been cladded in the fungus, but important items - including Kerdesan’s wheelchair - have also become casualties of damp.
Tucked in an airing cupboard is one of Kerdesan's wheelchairs which is covered in mould.
When she reported the problem to her housing association L&Q, she said that contractors visited and poured an industrial treatment spray which remains visible from off-colour streaks on the walls.
Kerdesan, who has asthma, said that the smell of the chemical left her and her children unable to breathe, and claimed that her fan was also broken and clogged with mould.
But Kerdesan also said the leak - which she believed was the cause of the problem - returns every year and rips through her flat.
Kerdesan said: “They sprayed the mould and left us in here. Me and my child couldn't breathe. The smell was so strong.
“The bathroom fan isn’t working. It’s got mould inside and around it.”
Kerdesan said she was left to battle the mould with household sprays and dehumidifiers.
But in the last two weeks, she developed a persistent cough which forces her and her asthmatic son to use inhalers and antibiotics to relieve the pain.
She said: "My lungs are really bad. With the mould, me and my little one have been affected. He’s asthmatic as well as myself."
“Every time we get an asthma attack we have to take our inhalers. We take two types, pain relief and a preventer and that doesn’t help.
“We’ve been on antibiotics but we must not live on antibiotics because homes should be fit for purpose, for people to live in.”
Basic repairs to taps around the home have left Kerdesan having to do her own repairs with sticky tape, and she uses buckets to collect water from the leaks.
As well as battling the mould, Kerdesan said she often injures herself on corners of doors as her flat is unsuitable for her disability needs.
Kerdesan added the disrepair not only inhibits her from living a healthy life, but stops her from having basic showers as the seat she's meant to use is also broken.
Furthermore, her housing does not suit her family of four, as she said she's also forced to share a bed with her youngest son, while her eldest sleeps in the second room.
To add to her misery, Kerdesan barely has enough room for her second electric wheelchair, which needs to be charged during the day.
Kerdesan said: “Most of the time, I fall, I can’t move my neck, can't use my arms. I should have a safe space where I can place my medical stuff.
“I’m meant to be having top priority [to be rehoused]. I’m a category A. I’ve had this for many years and I’m still here.
“Even when I go to bid nothing matches my criteria. I even bid for a two-bedroom because I was desperate from all the flooding.
Kerdesan said she has tried to make the best of her environment by using her outdoor space and decorating it with plants and flowers.
She said she hoped that the area outside could be a place for her children to play away from the mould, but the disrepairs even in her garden have made it impossible.
The uneven and broken paving Kerdesan reported two years ago has yet to be fixed, making it dangerous for her to use a wheelchair in the area.
Overall, Kerdesan said she has been left feeling that her home is a place of “neglect.”
She said: “Our landlords don’t care. Home is very important. Whether we go to work, whether we go to school, wherever we go, we end up coming home.
“These landlords have to understand. They must not treat us like scapegoats. We pay our rent, we pay our service charge.“
"There needs to be change before I end up joining those no longer with us.”
A spokesperson for L&Q said: "We are sorry for the issues Ms Gallardo has experienced and are committed to bringing her home up to the standard she deserves.
"Our contractors visited in November 2021 to treat the mould, pinpoint the underlying cause, and identify the repairs needed to prevent the problem from re-occurring.
"We replaced the extractor fan in the bathroom in January and scheduled further visits that couldn’t go ahead as our contractors were denied access to the property."
Kerdesan said her housing association didn't have her correct contact details and had been calling the wrong person for months. The Mirror then asked L&Q if that was the case.
A spokesperson confirmed it had now been in touch with her, and was arranging a surveyor.
The spokesperson added: "A surveyor attended Ms Gallardo’s home and has set out a programme of comprehensive repairs to be completed as soon as possible.
"We are actively looking to re-house Ms Gallardo, but the search is taking some time because of the shortage of properties that meet her needs locally.
"The welfare of our residents remains our utmost priority, and we will continue to work with Ms Gallardo to find a solution that meets her needs.”
Have you been left in a home from hell? Email melissa.sigodo@reachplc.com
