A 14-year-old girl collapsed at her family home in Chepstow after sleeping in a bedroom affected by black mould, her mother has said. Leah Morgan, 32, said her daughters, aged 14 and five, are no longer able to sleep in their bedroom due to the extent of the black mould spreading up the walls.
“My five-year-old is sleeping in my bedroom and my other daughter is on a mattress on the floor of the living room. They have no bedroom,” said Leah, who has lodged numerous complaints with her housing association over several years regarding the property.
Collapse and medical advice
The situation reached crisis point earlier this year when her 14-year-old collapsed at home in the block of flats on Pembroke Road in the Bulwark, Chepstow. “My eldest just walked out of the bedroom one day and said her chest hurt and she wasn't feeling very well. She then collapsed on the kitchen floor,” Leah said.
“We got her straight to the doctors who said she had a severe chest infection and the doctor asked: 'Do you suffer with any sort of black mould?'”
Ms Morgan was also handed a letter from her GP confirming that both daughters had been seen at the surgery with recurrent respiratory tract illnesses, and that it was likely mould at the property was impacting their health and may be contributing to recurrent illnesses. The mother said her youngest daughter has endured persistent skin irritations and infections.
Housing association response
Following the teenager's collapse, landlords Monmouthshire Housing Association visited the property to undertake work including installing new panelling on the bedroom walls, but Leah said progress has stopped. Additional work was only undertaken, according to Leah, after Monmouthshire county councillor for Bulwark and Thornwell Armand Watts raised complaints on her behalf in July.
She said she has not, however, allowed workers further entry to her flat, which she shares with her partner and two daughters, following advice that she should insist on a plan to address and treat the black mould. The housing association has previously painted over the mould in her living room and in the girls' bedroom, Leah said, but they told her the issue stemmed from the external wall.
Family's housing situation
The family relocated to the two-bedroom property six years ago after being in temporary accommodation, having been forced to leave a private rental in Thornwell when the property was sold. While they want to relocate to a larger property, none are available, and Leah, who is studying with the Open University, said private rentals are not something she is able to currently afford.
She said: “I don't think we can afford private rental anymore. This place is about £600 a month but even for a two-bedroom privately you are looking at about £1,000 a month and I've seen a three-bedroom advertised for about £1,500 a month.”
Monmouthshire Housing Association said it had upheld a complaint from Leah regarding the time it had taken to respond to her reports of mould. A spokeswoman for the housing association said: “We take all reports of damp or mould seriously, and in this case the immediate risk from mould has been removed. The resident raised a formal complaint regarding the time taken to address the issue and we have upheld that complaint.
“We are committed to working with the resident to agree any further actions that may be required. We are currently awaiting a response from the resident's appointed advocate so that we can discuss and agree the next steps.”
“We understand the impact that damp or mould can have on residents and are keen to bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion as quickly as possible.” The spokeswoman said demand for social housing exceeds supply both locally and nationally, adding: “While we assess every application in line with our allocations policy and take individual circumstances into account, we are unable to offer immediate rehousing in many cases.”
