A Birmingham mother has issued a stark public health warning after her nine-year-old son was rushed to hospital with pneumonia, a condition doctors directly linked to the severe damp and mould infesting their council-owned home. Colleen Curran, a single mother of five, spoke exclusively about the ordeal, highlighting what campaigners describe as a "silent killer" lurking in millions of UK properties.
A Family's Health Nightmare
Colleen Curran, 41, has lived in a two-bedroom council house in Winson Green, Birmingham, for 13 years. For most of that time, she has battled persistent damp and mould, which has taken a severe toll on her children's health. The crisis reached its peak in November 2024 when her son, Jonjo, was hospitalised and placed on oxygen for five days after developing pneumonia and a lung infection.
"Doctors confirmed that his condition was linked to issues surrounding the long-standing infestation of damp and mould in our home," Colleen revealed. "There's nothing worse than seeing your child sick from something that could have been prevented."
The Living Conditions
The house, built in 1875, suffers from multiple structural issues. Colleen describes dark stains seeping through wallpaper, clammy walls that feel wet to the touch after rain, and cold air filtering through gaps caused by deteriorating brickwork, missing roof tiles, and damaged guttering.
"I tell the council and they come out and paint over it with anti-mould paint," she explains. "But by the time they have finished painting the bathroom upstairs, it had already started coming through downstairs. That's how rapid it is. The mould reappears within days."
Compounding the problem, rising energy costs mean Colleen can only afford to heat one room, relying on an electric heater and blankets. Other parts of the house remain cold and damp, exacerbating the mould growth.
A National Public Health Crisis
Colleen's story is not isolated. New research from the Health Equals campaign, a coalition of 100 organisations, reveals a shocking national picture. A nationally representative survey of 3,982 people in October 2025 found that an estimated 15 million people in the UK live in homes with issues like damp, mould, or cold. This equates to roughly six million families and three million children.
Low-income households, particularly renters, are most affected, with the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber identified as the worst-hit regions.
Campaign for Change
In response, Homes Under the Hammer presenter Martin Roberts is fronting a major campaign to improve UK living conditions. He argues the situation must be recognised as a public health crisis.
"The environment in which you live not only affects your mental wellbeing, but also has now been proved beyond doubt to potentially very seriously affect your health and the health of your family - and kids especially," Roberts stated.
The campaign echoes the tragedy of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 from a severe respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to black mould in his Rochdale home. His death led to the introduction of Awab's Law in 2023, requiring social landlords to investigate and fix damp and mould within strict timeframes.
Paul McDonald, Chief Campaigns Officer at Health Equals, said: "Our research lays bare a health crisis hidden behind closed doors inside people's homes. Millions are living with conditions proven to damage health and worsen chronic illnesses. A warm, dry, and healthy home shouldn't be a luxury, but a basic human right."
Council Response and Ongoing Struggle
A Birmingham City Council spokesperson expressed regret for the family's difficulties and stated that improving council homes is a key priority. The council is investing over £200 million annually and aims for 100% compliance with the Decent Homes Standards by 2032. An inspection of Colleen's property has been arranged.
However, Colleen remains deeply worried for her children's future, especially with further energy price increases anticipated. "I've got five children in a two bedroom house so my girls sleep downstairs on the sofa bed, which means they're in the room with the mould," she said. "I worry that sleeping for too many years in a room like that, it's going to start affecting them."
She supports Martin Roberts' call to action, urging the government to treat unfit housing as a public health emergency. "We need to protect our children from going through what poor Awaab and his family went through. I don't want it to be Jonjo next."
