A young mum-of-five living with a "severe mould problem" has told of how her son has been on antibiotics for nine months straight due to the health risk it poses.
The woman, who spoke to KentLive on condition of anonymity, has lived in the three-bed property in Whitstable for seven years and says she has experienced serious problems with mould for the entirety of that time.
The 31-year-old has two sets of twins, aged three and nine, and another child who is 12.
One of her nine-year-olds has a deficiency of immunoglobulin A (IGA); an antibody found in the inner lining of the nose, airways and gut. A deficiency is known to make someone more prone to catching diseases and illnesses.
While the mum said she has dealt with the mould for "seven years", Canterbury City Council said in a statement that the first report it had of mould in the home was last November. It has works lined up to help resolve the issue, a spokesperson said.
The mum accused the council of doing "pointless work" that had not resolved the issue.
"I have mould in every room, ceiling, kitchen cupboards, toy box, clothes you name it. I have a boy with an IGA deficiency and have sent the council a letter from his consultant stating the danger this is causing him," she said.
"But they have not really taken any note of this. He’s been on antibiotics for nine months straight now to protect him."
Even though she cleans the mould frequently, the young mum said it still persisted. She claimed this is down to the fact that the house, which is not a new build, does not have adequate insulation.
She added that a third party told her the whole house needed insulating, but the council had refused. Instead, it said it would put up interior walls and a ventilation unit, but the mum said this still has not been done.
She said: "I've got no insulation in my house whatsoever. I contacted the council in January about the mould and everything and it took them months to respond to my complaints.
"I was also told I'd have to wait at least 50 days before they would respond to my case. But I can't just sit around waiting.
"It's not like I can go private either because everything is just so expensive at the moment. The council said they were going to do extensive work to my property in March to fix the damp and mould problems by adding insulation to the walls and floors but then suddenly they decided against it on March 2."
The mum said she feels the recommendations from the council still won't be enough to deal with the extensive mould she is having to live with. She also says she feels neglected by the council and, although she is constantly trying to get hold of someone, no-one returns her calls.
She also said she had been bidding for a new council property, but had not been offered any alternative accommodation. She concluded: "I think only one person has got back to me since January.
"I feel as though everything that's going on, the low IGA, the mould, the insulation, no-one is linking it all together. My child is prone to chest infections and the council aren't doing enough to solve this issue. I can't keep letting my kids go through this."
A Canterbury City Council spokesman said: "The first report of mould received from the resident came into us on November 23 last year. An inspection was carried out within a few days.
"Initial treatment work and repointing took place in December. More substantial work including thermo boarding is booked in for early May and we were in touch with her yesterday about the installation of a passive ventilation system.
"Regarding alternative accommodation, all the work identified can be completed with minimal disruption to the family. We will continue to discuss the situation with her and ensure she is kept fully up to date with what will be happening."
