Thousands report mouldy and damp homes

Stoke-on-Trent council started a campaign to uncover issues five months ago

Up to 3,700 council tenants have reported damp and mould problems since the start of a council crackdown five months ago.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council launched its Damp campaign in November, urging tenants to report issues and promising a speedy response.

The authority says it has so far received government funding to carry out improvements like insulation or double glazing in 100 of the worst-affected homes.

Council leader Jane Ashworth said: "It is totally unacceptable for families to be risking serious health issues by living in damp, mouldy, cold conditions in a very rich country such as ours."

The Labour councillor told a meeting of the authority it was receiving an average of 64 reports a day.

Teams had visited 3,600 properties since the start of the campaign for work and advice on tackling damp and mould, she added.

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Last year, the Housing Ombudsman ordered the city council to pay £1,000 in compensation to a mother who had said her daughter’s acute asthma had been affected by the damp and mould in their council property.

There had been "severe maladministration" in how the authority had handled the Tunstall tenant’s complaint, the ombudsman concluded.

While the issues were first reported in 2020, the tenant was still facing difficulties in getting the repairs completed in 2022, it added.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.