A mother with asthma claims she and her son's health has been badly affected by damp and mould within their rented accommodation.
Chloe Griffiths claims she has lived in her property for more than 15 years and each winter she is faced with mould and damp throughout her home, which is having an impact on her and her 15-year-old son's physical health.
Chloe, 34, lives with her partner Vinney, 45, and her son Devontae, 15, in a flat owned by Cardiff council in Pentrebane. The issue has become "unbearable" for the family of three, Chloe claims, and damp and mould is visible in every room of her flat as "the walls are completely black." They have even experienced cabinets falling off the wall in their kitchen due to the damp.
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The reoccurring issue of damp and mould within her home has led to the deterioration of her health as well as her son's, Chloe said. Both Chloe and Devontae suffer from asthma and during recent months have had to increase their usage of inhalers. According to their GP, "a damp and mouldy environment at home may well worsen the condition".
Chloe said Devontae has also developed allergies to the mould around the house, and is unable to spend time in his bedroom without "coughing and getting irritated eyes". As the mould is especially bad in his bedroom, he is forced to sleep on the sofa in the living room. Each winter, Devontae's asthma stops him from attending school for a number of days however his mum describes it as "a catch 22; we keep him home in a damp property but I can't send him to school when his chest is bad".
Chloe claims Cardiff Council have been contacted by the residents numerous times regarding the issue of mould and damp in the property. She said they have repeatedly visited the property, however their efforts to remove the damp have been unsuccessful. Chloe said they have "come out, ripped all the wallpaper off, damp-painted the walls and then the same things happen every winter again". With the current cost of living crisis, the expense of having to redecorate is a significant problem for them.
Four years ago, Cardiff Council installed new windows into the front of the property as well as ventilation systems but they do not seem to have fixed the ongoing issue. The council advised the family to keep windows open throughout the house, but for them it is "a safety risk as well as impacting on our heating bills."
Chloe said in recent weeks a member of Cardiff Council viewed the damp and mould within the property and told her the issue is "structural" but no efforts have been made to fix the structural issues yet.
A spokesperson for Cardiff Council said: "Issues of damp at Ms Griffiths’ home were first raised in March 2018 and anti-mould treatment was carried out at that time. A new vent to help improve the condensation and ventilation was installed in January 2020.
"Unfortunately, additional work required did not take place due to restrictions during the Covid-19 lockdown, but a number of remedial actions are scheduled for March including renewing and repositioning radiators in the property, servicing the extractor fans, external rendering, internal plastering, anti-mould treatment and an inspection of the glazing to the windows."
They added: “The council takes reports of damp and mould issues in our homes very seriously. We work with tenants to resolve issues and provide information and advice on ways they can help prevent and alleviate the problem. We have recently completed a full review of our systems and processes to deal with damp and mould issues to ensure cases are dealt with appropriately and effectively, and have a robust action plan and additional resources in place to deal with the issue."
“We know that the rising cost of heating our homes is a real worry for many tenants and have help in place for anyone struggling at this difficult time, at hubs across the city, by calling our Adviceline on 029 2087 1071 or emailing advicehub@cardiff.gov.uk “
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