A single mother from Newtownabbey has spoken about how poor conditions at her Housing Executive flat have left her and her young daughter struggling with their health.
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, had previously been living in a hostel with her four-year-old daughter after being a victim of domestic violence.
When they were offered a flat, she was excited for a fresh start, but that soon turned sour when the property became covered with black mould.
Read more: Co Down mum left sleeping on sofa for months due to mould and damp
Speaking to Belfast Live about the ordeal they've been living through for the past six months, she said: "When we got this flat, everything was fine when we moved in, I did it all up and I thought it was great getting back on my feet after going through such a hard time.
"But from August, it's been nothing but damp problems. My previously healthy daughter has ended up a severe asthmatic, she's only four, and I was in hospital last week with fluid on my lung and pleurisy which I still have because of the damp and the way they [Housing Executive] have left the flat.
"My daughter now relies on inhalers just to get through the day and I'm always struggling to get a breath due to constantly cleaning the black mould."
The mum claims that the mould issues began as a result of a faulty maintenance job by the Housing Executive.
"Before Christmas, they took the insulation out of the walls and they were meant to fill the walls", she continued.
"It's affecting all over the flat - it's my daughter's room, my bedroom, my kitchen, and my living room. It's everywhere."
The woman said that Environmental Health have called out numerous times about the damp issues, and that she has had both her and her daughter's health workers out. Alongside this, she has went to a number of local politicians and community groups to ask for help and guidance, but claims she's "still getting nowhere."
She added: "They sent someone out the other week to clean it [the mould] and the worker said 'I'm sorry but that wall's far too wet, there's no point me putting more wet stuff on it for it to run straight back off again.'
"He's right, the puddles are coming up through my floor and the water is coming in through the walls, as they didn't refill the holes in the walls when they came out with the insulation. Yet they think that's fine for me and my daughter to be sleeping in it, when we've both been left unwell over the space of a couple of months. They're really not doing anything at all."
The issue has now got to the stage where it's impacting the mum's day-to-day mental health as well as her and her daughter's physical health.
"I was on route for a nervous breakdown the other week with the anxiety and stress, and my own doctor has spoken to them on my behalf for that," she said.
"I didn't want my daughter to see me in that state where I was breaking down crying as I couldn't cope with it anymore. As a single parent, I'm having to constantly fork out for the redecoration and cleaning, as well as the replacement of furniture and anything else that's getting wrecked in between."
A spokesperson for the Housing Executive said: "We recognise that there have been a number of problems regarding dampness at this home and would like to apologise to the tenant and her family.
“When we first were made aware of this issue in August 2021, we carried out a detailed inspection and had all the necessary work completed before Christmas. This included removing defective cavity wall insulation and replacing with new insulation. A kitchen fan was also installed.
“When the tenant raised further concerns about the insulation, we found that there was one small section of wall had not been refilled. This has now been rectified.
“Unfortunately there was a leak from the upstairs flat in January 2022 and dehumidifiers were required to dry out the flat.
“We had also planned to inspect and replace the damp proof course if required, this inspection has now been agreed. The gable wall will also be repaired in the coming days, weather permitting.
“We called at the home today and the tenant is now happy for further works to be completed. We will monitor the situation, and have reassured the tenant that any further necessary works will be addressed without delay."
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