Furious Edinburgh residents have held a protest outside the city's council buildings after being left in 'squalor' for the last five years. Natasha and Rory Blake held the demonstration outside the West Pilton base on Friday to demand that bosses start treating the extensive damp and mould in their Muirhouse property.
The couple claim that some of their belongings have been completely ruined and that the problem is 'putting the health of their kids at risk', Edinburgh Live reports. They said their nine-year-old daughter, who suffers from asthma, has been put on a higher dosage for her inhaler and their two-year old son is constantly suffering from a cough and chest infections.
The children's grandmother, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), says she frequently struggles to catch her breath when inside the home and feels a weight on her chest as soon as she walks in.
Natasha and Rory first contacted the council about the damp in November 2017. A surveyor was sent out to the property, but reported that there was no issue with mould.
The couple reported the problem for a second time in November 2021 , at which point a surveyor recommended repainting the property. Housing bosses also promised that an effective mould and damp strategy would be put in place from June 2021.
The property was painted at the start of this year, however Natasha and Rory claim that the structural issue of rising damp remains an ongoing health hazard and has not been addressed by the council.
Natasha, a Living Rent member, said: “The issue in our household is mould and dampness that the council are doing nothing about. We’ve previously had the dampness ‘treated’ and what I mean by that is they painted over the problem.
"It’s affecting us all. We all always seem to have coughs in this house and my step daughter who suffers asthma has had to get a dosage increase in her inhaler. I have tried to contact the housing officer but I’ve never ever received a response from him.
"My two-year old and I have just recovered from a very bad chesty cough and can only blame the dampness for this. The dampness and mould is in the kids' boxroom and has spread all over my son's mattress. This was the last straw for me. My son's life is potentially at risk. I will not allow my family to live in squalor anymore. The dampness has to go or we need to be rehoused!”
After two years of inaction, the couple joined their local branch of Living Rent in the hopes of putting pressure on the council to finally tackle the mould and dampness in their home. Joined by other members from the organisation, the pair took to the streets outside Edinburgh City Council to demand that bosses provide them with an alternative property that does not ‘threaten their children’s health’.
To drive home their point, the couple dumped their mouldy belongings at the office entrance.
Caroline Cawley from Living Rent tenants’ union says: “Natasha and Rory’s case demonstrates the need for council’s, social housing providers and landlords to stop putting short term measures in place and take serious, concerted action to deal with the epidemic of mould in our housing.
"It's deplorable that The City of Edinburgh Council is forcing so many of its tenants to live in homes that are overrun with damp and mould. The Council needs to step up and provide adequate resources to solve these issues before more people get sick from their living conditions.
“We are in the worst cost of living crisis in generations with freezing temperatures outside tenants cannot just be told to ‘open the windows’. Over the last month we have seen the awful consequences of landlords blaming tenants for the structural issues and failing to take tenant’ concerns seriously in the death of Awaab Ishak.”
A council spokesperson said: “We’re very sorry that our tenants are facing these issues and we’re arranging for a survey to be carried out. This should identify the root causes of the dampness at the Blake family’s home, so that works can urgently be taken forward.”
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