Hackney housing: 'We had mushrooms growing from the ceiling'

It took months for Serena's housing association to remove the mushrooms from the ceiling

A mum of three says she "doesn't know what to do any more" as she has had to live for two years with mushrooms growing out of cracks in her ceiling.

Serena, from Hackney, told the BBC there had been a stream of problems in her flat for over 10 years.

She says the housing association, Peabody, has "left her and her sons in this condition without a care".

A Peabody spokesperson said: "We are sorry for the time it has taken to fully resolve the issues raised."

The spokesperson added: "We understand that the situation is frustrating, and we will be inspecting the building and looking at what more we can do to stop the problems from reoccurring.

'Don't feel safe'

Serena, a key worker in the NHS during the pandemic, said the cracks in her flat's ceiling and walls had been getting progressively worse.

"At one point we had mushrooms growing out the ceiling, leaks in the bedroom and corridor, and water-flies everywhere.

"Now there's a huge crack running from the floor to the ceiling in my son's bedroom - it's clear there are subsidence issues, but Peabody won't acknowledge the problem."

The walls in Serena's son's bedroom are water-damaged and have multiple large cracks

She added: "My home is meant to be a place of comfort where me and my family can be at ease.

"I don't feel safe in my own home any more."

Serena says Peabody has sealed the cracks in the ceiling over 10 times since she's been in the property, but the problem continues.

"It takes months, if not years, to get someone from the housing association to look at the problem.

"They aren't interested in the underlying problems of subsidence, they just plaster over the cracks and then disappear again.

"When they investigated the mushrooms, they just pulled them out of the ceiling and gave me £300 in compensation.

"No one has ever issued me with an apology or acknowledged my request to be moved out of the property."

'Like a prison'

It's not just the physical impact of the problem that is taking a toll on Serena and her family, it's also mental.

Serena is worried about the mental health of her son who has to sleep under the cracks

"My son has stopped sleeping in his bedroom because he's scared the ceiling might collapse on him.

"He feels like his own bedroom is like a prison.

"This is having a huge impact on his health and wellbeing."

Hackney councillor and the Green Party candidate for Mayor of London, Zoe Garbett, told the BBC she was "really shocked when I found out about the mushrooms growing on the wall of Serena's home; no-one should have to live in these conditions.

"Too many people live in substandard housing. Landlords including housing associations need to listen to residents about the situations they are living in and find and fix the root cause of problems."

Serena says she is sure that there are subsidence issues that make the flat unsafe to live in

A spokesperson for Peabody said: "We have paid compensation to the resident by way of apology for the delays.

"There are some outstanding repairs still to do and we have agreed with the resident that we will complete them by mid-June."

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