Family CHOOSE to move to homeless shelter due to state of mould-infested homes

Fresh concerns have been raised over a housing association’s record on tackling damp and mould - with one family choosing to leave and live in a homeless shelter due to the state of their property. Stockport Homes was told to ‘up its game’ earlier this year following the tragic case of Rochdale toddler Awaab Ishak, whose death was directly linked to the problem.

Councillors passed a motion in January calling on the landlord to act on complaints ‘without delay’ after members heard of a case where a child’s bedroom was affected, while another tenant was told to ‘wipe it off’. The group, which manages more than 12,000 council and privately-let properties, insisted it was dedicated to ‘the maintenance of safe, secure and sustainable homes’.

But a full council meeting on Wednesday night heard stories of residents' battles with damp in their homes - including one woman living in a mould-infested house who says she has suffered with pneumonia 11 times and a family who had to leave due to the condition of their home.

READ MORE: Plans to turn bank into bedsits compared to 'sardines' - but it's still going ahead

Stockport Homes' bosses pointed to the ‘additional measures’ they had introduced, such as ‘proactively’ contacting tenants that have reported damp in the last 18 months and awareness training for staff. Tom Bowker, Stockport Homes’ executive director of operations, accepted the ‘bar had been raised’ since the Awaab Ishak case and said the landlord had reviewed all its policies, procedures and approach to damp and mould.

“We adopt a zero tolerance approach to damp and mould,” he told councillors. “We never say any damp and mould is acceptable and we never say it’s as a result of customers’ lifestyles.

“These are real issues