mould – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

£8.2m taxpayer bill for Edinburgh mould crisis revealed in FOI as complaints soar

A recent survey has revealed that one-third of Scottish social housing tenants lack confidence that their landlord will fix damp and mould, with thousands of complaints being made in recent years.

Between 2021 and 2022, there were at least 14,451 complaints made to local authorities in Scotland, a 19 per cent increase on the year before.

Now, new Freedom of Information (FOI) data sourced by the home experts at Hillarys has revealed that the City of Edinburgh Council has spent more than £8.2 million tackling damp and mould in homes since 2024. The findings reveal that mould and damp complaints in the capital soared by +52% between 2022 (1,215) and 2024 (1,849), as residents report nearly five cases a day.

And while new regulation is set to be introduced from October, enforcing fixed timeframes for social landlords to investigate and start prevention works to address damp and mould, the experts at Hillarys have shared advice on how households can tackle the problem at home while many tenants are still waiting for repairs to be carried out.

Edinburgh Council’s spending on damp and mould in homes

Month	2024	2025	Grand Total
January	148,000	314,000	462,000
February	244,000	352,000	596,000
March	252,000	353,000	605,000
April	360,000	254,000	614,000
May	291,000	436,000	727,000
June	343,000	423,000	766,000
July	343,000	274,000	617,000
August	313,000	367,000	680,000
September	514,000	410,000	924,000
October	310,000	395,000	705,000
November	589,000	301,000	890,000
December	393,000	264,000	657,000
Total	4,100,000	4,143,000	£8,243,000

Hillarys Freedom of Information (FOI) request has uncovered that the City of Edinburgh Council has spent £8,243,000 tackling mould and damp across homes in the capital between 2024 and 2025, or £4.1m per year on average.

Edinburgh residents make 143 complaints a month about mould and damp in the capital’s housing stock

In 2022, the council responded to 1,215 reports of damp and mould, soaring by +52% to 1,849 in 2024 and 1,591 in 2025.³ Overall, the council recorded 3,440 cases between 2024 and 2025, equivalent to 143 reports per month or nearly 5 complaints each day.

Edinburgh Council currently reports an average resolution time of 42 calendar days, or six weeks, from the date damp or mould is reported to the completion of treatment work. This is significantly higher than the framework that will be enforced in the autumn, where significant damp and mould must be investigated within 10 working days and made safe within five.

Why are Scottish homes more prone to damp and mould?

Nearly one in ten homes has some incidence of damp or mould in Scotland (9-10%), compared to 4-5% of homes in England, indicating that while England has a higher total number of homes with damp, the percentage of households affected in Scotland is higher.^5,6

One in ten Scottish households is impacted by damp or mould

Households in Scotland are particularly affected due to a combination of cold, wet weather, older buildings and the high cost of heating, which limits proper ventilation. In fact, a recent analysis of EPC data by Hillarys found that the ten most expensive regions to heat nationwide are all in Scotland.

Households in the Highland region pay £1,902 per year on average for heating, with the region found to have the fourth-highest proportion of homes with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or lower (63.42).

Victoria Robinson, product expert at Hillarys, has shared how households can tackle the problem at home and when to seek professional advice: “Proper household maintenance is incredibly important for preventing and treating mould.

“With good ventilation from opening windows and using extractor fans where possible, you can reduce the risk of mould and dampness. If you spot mould in your home, the first step is to carefully clean the affected areas by using detergents, white vinegar or mould removers and eliminating dampness at the source.

“Cleaning your own home is important and cost-effective, but sometimes it is not enough to fix mould problems. If mould is present in large areas, normally more than 1m², or you find recurring mould patches, musty odours or structural damage, it is time to call in a professional or escalate with your landlord before further damage to your health and home occurs.”

https://www.hillarys.co.uk/blinds-range/.

Millions of tenants safe from black mould through Awaab’s Law

New laws are now in force protecting England’s social housing tenants from emergency hazards and damp and mould. The changes are a lasting legacy to Awaab Ishak

New rules will protect tenants and force social landlords in England to urgently fix dangerous homes.
Emergency hazards to be addressed within 24 hours under landmark changes.
Reforms are a legacy to two-year-old Awaab Ishak who tragically died from prolonged exposure to mould.

The first phase of Awaab’s Law will force social landlords to take urgent action to fix dangerous homes or face the full force of the law, improving lives for tenants and families living in all four million of England’s social rented homes. 

The new legal duties will finally put tenants’ safety first with landlords forced to fix emergency health and safety hazards within 24 hours of reporting. They must also investigate significant damp and mould within 10 working days of being notified and then make properties safe in five working days. For both types of hazards, they must also write the findings to tenants within three working days of inspection.  

As part of the reforms, landlords now must also consider the circumstances of tenants which could put them at risk – including young children and those with disabilities or health conditions. Alternative accommodation must also be offered if homes cannot be made safe within the required timeframes.

These vital reforms will not only keep tenants safer in their homes, but hold landlords to account. Those who fail to comply with the rules face being taken to court, where they could be issued enforcement orders, forced to pay compensation and legal costs – as well as loss of rent if homes were uninhabitable.

Awaab’s Law is a lasting legacy to two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who tragically died after being exposed to mould at his Rochdale home in December 2020. In the wake of this tragedy, Awaab’s family has fought to secure justice, not only for their son but for all those who live in social housing.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said:  ”Everyone deserves a safe and decent home to live in and Awaab Ishak is a powerful reminder of how this can sadly be a matter of life or death.

“Awaab’s family has fought hard for change and their work to protect millions of tenants’ lives will live on as a legacy to their son. 

“Our changes will give tenants a stronger voice and force landlords to act urgently when lives are at risk, ensuring such tragedies are never repeated.”

More of Awaab’s Law will be phased in next year and in 2027 to make homes safer from more hazards, alongside work to build 1.5 million new homes, including the biggest boost of social and affordable housing in a generation. 

To bring further transformative and lasting change in the safety and quality of social housing and give tenants a stronger voice, a new £1 million fund has been launched by the government today to create new ways of helping tenants engage with their landlords and have more influence over decisions that affect them.

Up to £100,000 will be granted to successful bidders who propose strong ideas for improving communication between landlords and tenants and help tenants have more of a say in how their homes are managed.

Examples of innovative ideas could include online platforms, marketing campaigns or recruiting specialist personnel who can support tenants to improve their experiences in social housing.

This will help replace the outdated, inefficient ways of communicating that leave tenants feeling unheard and waiting too long to get issues resolved by their landlord.

Weak controls and oversight blamed for faulty home installations under energy efficiency scheme

SCATHING REPORT HIGHLIGHTS HOMES INSULATION SCANDAL

98% of homes with external wall insulation installed under the UK government’s ECO scheme require work to correct major issues that will cause problems such as damp and mould.
DESNZ’s consumer protection system, which was set up in 2021, did not alert it to significant issues with the quality of installations until late 2024.
The NAO recommends that DESNZ sets out how and when affected households can have faulty installations repaired, and reforms the consumer protection system.
Download the embargoed report (PDF)

A new National Audit Office (NAO) report sets out the reasons for failures in the government’s energy efficiency scheme for homes, including poor-quality installations, weak government oversight and inadequate audit and monitoring, which the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) believes have led to tens of thousands of households needing repair work to correct major issues that will cause problems such as damp and mould.

The government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme aims to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions in Great Britain by requiring energy companies to fund the installation of energy efficiency measures, such as insulation, in homes.

But poor installation work has resulted in an estimated 22,000 to 23,000 homes with external wall insulation fitted under the scheme (98% of the total) and 9,000 to 13,000 homes with internal insulation (29% of the total) having major issues that need fixing. A small percentage of these installations also pose immediate health and safety risks.

Possible explanations why so many installations have been carried out to such a poor standard include an under-skilled workforce, with work being subcontracted to individuals and firms who are not competent or certified; uncertainty over which standards apply to which jobs; and businesses ‘cutting corners’ when undertaking design and installation work.

DESNZ implemented a new consumer protection system for the scheme in 2021, which included appointing TrustMark as its government-endorsed quality scheme.

But this system failed to alert DESNZ to significant issues with the quality of installations until October 2024, by which time the media had already reported on individual cases of bad mould in homes.

Reasons for the ECO scheme’s shortcomings include:

weak government oversight resulting in widespread issues with the ECO scheme not being identified sooner;
an overly complex consumer protection system that ultimately failed due to unclear and fragmented roles, responsibilities and accountabilities among DESNZ, Ofgem and private sector certification bodies and scheme providers;⁵
TrustMark’s funding arrangements limiting its ability to have analytical systems fully up and running until the latter half of 2024; and
insufficient audit and monitoring, in part due to weaknesses that allowed installers to ‘game’ the system.⁶

In addition to these issues, in November 2024 Ofgem estimated that businesses had falsified claims for ECO installations in between 5,600 and 16,500 homes, potentially claiming between £56 million and £165 million from the energy suppliers operating under the scheme.⁷

DESNZ and Ofgem took action once TrustMark made them aware of the extent of the problems. This included asking certification bodies and scheme providers to suspend the worst performing installers; communicating the issues to potentially affected households and to the wider public; and implementing immediate changes to the consumer protection system.

DESNZ also plans to apply the lessons learned from this experience to the design of its future schemes and its forthcoming Warm Homes Plan.

To improve the consumer protection system, and to boost householders’ confidence in government-backed schemes, the NAO recommends that DESNZ:

takes clear responsibility for schemes such as ECO, even when they are funded through consumers’ electricity bills;
clarifies its approach to repairing faulty ECO scheme installations alongside its Warm Homes Plan;
reforms the consumer protection system for retrofit schemes; and
reports annually on a statistically robust estimate of the level of fraud and non-compliance in each of its retrofit schemes.

Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “ECO and other such schemes are important to help reduce fuel poverty and meet the government’s ambitions for energy efficiency.

“But clear failures in the design and set-up of ECO and in the consumer protection system have led to poor-quality installations, as well as suspected fraud.

“DESNZ must now ensure that businesses meet their obligations to repair all affected homes as quickly as possible. It must also reform the system so that this cannot happen again.”

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Chair of Westminster’s Committee of Public Accounts. said: “The failures of the two current Energy Company Obligation (ECO) schemes are stark, with nearly all external and nearly a third of internal wall insulation fitted under the schemes requiring remediation.

“The potential impact of major issues to the health and safety of affected households must not be understated.

“Despite allegations of fraud, lack of sufficient quality data means that overall levels of fraud in ECO remain unknown.

“DESNZ and Ofgem have been quick to act after becoming aware of widespread problems, but their efforts remain hampered by weak government oversight and an overly complex consumer protection system.

“It is imperative that households receive clarity on how they can fix their homes and a system is put in place whereby these failings do not reoccur.”

Preventing homelessness and improving housing standards

Housing (Scotland) Bill passed by Holyrood

Legislation to transform homelessness prevention and improve standards in rented housing has been passed by the Scottish Parliament.

The Housing (Scotland) Bill will place a duty on certain public bodies to prevent people from losing their homes by asking about their housing situation and taking action.

The Bill will also broaden Ministers’ powers to implement ‘Awaab’s Law’, which will ensure landlords promptly address issues that are hazardous to tenants’ health, starting with damp and mould.

The legal measure was named after Awaab Ishak who died in 2020 after being exposed to mould in his home in Rochdale in north west England. The law will now be implemented in Scotland’s rented sector from March 2026, subject to Parliament’s agreement.

Other measures in the Bill include giving Ministers the power to implement a system of long-term rent controls, keeping rent affordable for tenants.

Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “Passing the Housing (Scotland) Bill is a landmark moment for how we prevent homelessness in Scotland.

“Whilst we already have some of the strongest homelessness rights of any country, we will now go even further to a create a gold-standard homelessness prevention system.

“Passing this groundbreaking legislation, coupled with the Housing Emergency Action Plan published earlier this month, shows just how serious we are about tackling Scotland’s housing crisis.

“Families across Scotland will have the confidence that their rented home will be free from damp and mould as we take forward work to implement ‘Awaab’s Law’. We will now work at pace to lay regulations to implement these protections from March.

“Scotland has already led the way in protecting tenants and providing strong rights when people are homeless and now the Housing Bill will revolutionise homelessness prevention and ensure rents are kept affordable.”

Maeve McGoldrick, head of policy and communications for Crisis Scotland, said: “Today’s vote marks a landmark moment in Scotland’s journey towards ending homelessness.

“We already have strong rights in place for people experiencing homelessness, but as we see from our frontline services, we need to do far more to prevent people losing their home in the first place. That means allowing people entering a housing crisis to get help earlier, so they can get support before it is too late.

“At Crisis we have been calling for new protections to stop people being forced from their homes for years. These new changes, contained in the Housing Bill, hold the potential to create a truly world-leading homelessness system, where everyone has a safe, secure place to live.”

Campaigners Living Rent said: “MSPs voted to pass the Housing bill and with it, rent controls. This bill wouldn’t exist without the work of Living Rent members.

“It caps rent increases between tenancies, clamps down on disrepair, and strengthens joint tenancy rights.”

The Scottish Greens also welcomed the decision: “40 years ago Margaret Thatcher abolished rent controls in Scotland.

“The Scottish Parliament just passed a Bill introduced by the Scottish Greens, which will allow them once more! This will keep rents affordable and offer safety and stability to renters.”

Graham Crocket, National Estate Agency Director at Aberdein Considine, has reacted to the passing of the new Housing (Scotland) Bill 2025.

The Bill empowers local councils to designate ‘Rent Control Areas’, capping rent increases to inflation plus 1%, and introduces stricter eviction rules while mandating rent history disclosures.

Graham said: “The implementation of the Housing (Scotland) Bill 2025 is a turning point for landlords, property buyers and the wider property market. While the government frames this Bill as a step towards fairness and affordability, the ripple effects could be profound.

“With rent controls, enhanced tenant protections and new transparency requirements becoming law, landlords and investors will need to carefully reassess their positions, while first-time buyers could be among those best placed to benefit.

“For landlords, especially those operating in high-demand urban areas, the Bill represents a tightening of margins and a loss of flexibility. The prospect of capped rent growth and longer notice periods may prompt a sell-off of rental housing stock, particularly for older flats and tenements. This shift could flood the second-hand market with properties previously held for investment.

“If this happens, first-time buyers could find themselves with more choice and negotiating power than before. In cities like Glasgow and Aberdeen, where affordability ratios are more favourable, the impact could be especially pronounced. Entry-level homes may see a softening in price, giving new buyers a foothold in markets that have long felt out of reach.

“The Bill’s full impact will depend on how councils implement rent control zones and how landlords respond. For now, the market is watching, and first-time buyers may be wise to do more than just watch.”

Aberdein Considine has produced a short city-by-city forecast on the expected impact of the Housing (Scotland) Bill:

Glasgow: With an average house price of £191,000 and strong rental demand, Glasgow is likely to see moderate investor exits. Flats in areas like Dennistoun and Southside may enter the market, softening prices and improving access for first-time buyers.
Edinburgh:  Scotland’s capital faces a declared housing emergency and high property values. Rent controls could be rolled out aggressively, prompting landlord exits in Leith and Southside. However, strong demand may keep prices buoyant, limiting gains for new buyers.
Aberdeen: Long subdued by oil sector volatility, Aberdeen’s market is already cool. The bill may accelerate existing trends, with modest price declines and increased affordability for buyers seeking value.
Stirling:  Affordable and well-connected, Stirling could attract buyers priced out of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Investor exits near the university and city centre may boost supply of housing stock, stabilising prices and enhancing accessibility.
Perth: With a quieter market and rural appeal, Perth may see slower changes. However, increased listings of older rental stock could gently ease prices, especially for flats and terraced homes.

Aberdein Considine is an award-winning law firm with 21 offices and more than 450 staff across Scotland and the north of England. The firm is also Scotland’s largest solicitor estate agent with a national network of high street branches, including in the key cities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Stirling.

Edinburgh Tenants Federation to discuss damp and mould

THURSDAY 9th OCTOBER 6 – 8pm at NORTON PARK

Calling all tenants! Join ETF and a member of CEC for our next Federation Meeting to discuss damp and mould in the home.

Thursday 9th of October

6pm – 8pm

Norton Park Conference Centre

Call 0131 475 2509 or email info@edinburghtenants.org.uk if you require transport

Fuel-poor households in Scotland selected for national mould and damp intervention programme

Families across Scotland have this week commenced a 12-month mould and damp intervention programme before a full UK rollout this spring.

Delivered by Indoor Air Aware, the campaign democratising access to healthy indoor environments, and funded by Energy Action Scotland, the year-long pilot project will assist fuel poor households in preventing and safely remediating areas affected by mould and damp at home.

The project aims to address the critical issue of condensation, damp and mould in homes, specifically targeting fuel poor households with preschool-aged children in Scotland.

This innovative pilot will focus on a selection of households living in social rented, private rented and owned housing, providing them with proactive solutions to prevent mould and damp from affecting their living conditions. The initiative enables Indoor Air Aware to act on its mission to improve indoor air quality and the health and wellbeing of families.

The project pilot will involve home visits to assess the efficiency of the fabric and physics of buildings, ventilation and heating systems, and the provision of tailored guidance on household activities like drying clothes and showering – two of the main causes of moisture resulting in mould growth.

As part of the pilot, each household has been equipped with two smart air monitoring devices, coupled with a user-friendly app.

A team of expert advisors at Indoor Air Aware will remotely monitor each environment and provide guidance where improvements can be made. The energy consumed to heat each property will also be tracked.

To track progress, each participating household will regularly complete surveys to record the physical condition of their home in relation to condensation, dampness and mould and share their experiences after putting new measures and behaviour change in place.

The health of all residents will also be tracked during the pilot to identify how the improved environment impacts each resident’s level of health.

The project will run for 12 months, culminating in a final report that will outline the findings and effectiveness of the initiative and interventions.

Lisa Malyon, Founder of Indoor Air Aware, comments on the pilot launch: “The steep, sustained rise in energy costs has led to underheated homes which has exacerbated the UK’s mould epidemic.

“Living with mould can have a detrimental and often irreversible impact on people’s health – especially children whose lungs are still developing. The chemistry and physics behind why mould grows in our homes is complex, so this pilot is designed to educate households on the causes, and how to prevent mould and damp.

“We are incredibly grateful to Energy Action Scotland for funding this pilot project, which has the potential to be life-changing for those who take part.”

Frazer Scott, CEO of Energy Action Scotland comments on the grant fund: “Cold, occupied homes are a breeding ground for mould, so we really welcome the opportunity to learn more through this work with Lisa and Indoor Air Aware.

“If we equip households with the knowledge of heat, air and ventilation, we can all combat the causes of mould growth and protect ourselves and improve our health. We look forward to sharing the outcome of the pilot.”

Indoor Air Aware is home to ‘Mums Versus Mould’ a fast-growing Facebook community of 1,500 families hoping to prevent mould and damp, or safely clean and remediate their homes after the damage is already done.

Lisa shares her top 10 tips to help avoid mould and damp at home:

Do everything in your power to strike the right balance of heat, ventilation, and insulation. Mould needs moisture to start growing, so we must do what we can to avoid moisture landing on porous surfaces.
Always use the ventilation made available to you. Each day, we each create around 8 glasses of water through washing, cleaning, cooking, sweating, and breathing. Ventilation such as extractor fans and trickle vents on windows should be used to reduce the moisture in the air. Opening a window 5cm will result in less than 5% heat loss. It will feel warmer inside as the window will release moisture from the air.
Cooker hood ventilation is more effective if you cook using the back rings, instead of the front rings. Always make sure to clean cooker hood filters around once a month, or every fortnight if you use it every day.
Each day, do the daily detox. This is sometimes known as ‘back to front’ or ‘shock ventilation’ whereby you open each window of the house very wide, and all internal doors. This allows the outside air – which is generally 3.5 times cleaner than indoor air – to sweep all the moisture, stale gases, chemicals and particles out of the property, leaving behind dryer, cleaner air that is quicker and cheaper to heat.
Establish dry rooms and wet rooms, and don’t mix the two. Never do anything ‘wet’ such as drying clothes, using a steam iron, or having a heated aquarium in dry rooms (living rooms / bedrooms etc). These activities should be done in the bathroom or kitchen, with good ventilation.
Do your maths. Many households are opting to air dry their laundry using a dehumidifier instead of a tumble dryer. My own experiments have proved it’s normally more economical to use a tumble dryer – but make sure it’s well vented and used in a room with an open window.
Do not attempt to clean large areas of mould. Any space larger than the size of a tea-towel should be professionally cleaned and remediated if necessary.
Never use bleach-based products, and don’t try to mask the problem with stain blockers. Bleach feeds mould growth, and can break down silicons, leaving gaps around the bath to create much large water damage issues.
Do not get duped by ‘mould sprays’ as these contain sodium hypochlorite which is bleach.
Pure white vinegar on a microfibre cloth is the best way to remove mould, followed by another wipe down with water and a few drops of liquid soap or washing up liquid in a bowl of water. Wring the cloth out well as excess water will exacerbate the issue. Leave to air dry / use a heater / dehumidifier. Always wear protective gloves, clothing, and a face mask to reduce the impact of spreading the issue and health side effects.

SOS North Edinburgh Housing Emergency Update

Edinburgh Council’s Senior Housing Staff meet North Edinburgh Parents Action Group at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre

Last Wednesday (27th September), North Edinburgh Parents Action Group met with senior members of the Council’s housing management team and the Chair of the Housing Committee to discuss the issues raised in their report ‘SOS North Edinburgh’s Housing Emergency’ .

The group used the meeting to highlight many of the housing problems which sadly are common in most areas of North Edinburgh including mould and dampness, overcrowding, anti-social behaviour and an unacceptable repairs service.

Shocking

Group members shared their own personal stories about how these issues were impacting on their familiies’ physical and mental health. The housing staff and the chair of the Housing Committee were visibly shocked at some of the stories shared by members.

Edinburgh Council’s Senior Housing Staff’s Commitment

The senior housing staff gave a commitment to work with the parents group to address these issues as a matter of urgency. They also agreed to work closely with local families who have been involved in the project to try to resolve their ongoing housing problems and will use this process to identify what needs to change.

Susan Rowand, Chairperson of the Parents Group, said: “People have been waiting so long to get their housing issues fixed, many of them can’t wait any longer. We really hope that things begin to happen soon.

“A follow up meeting has been planned for the end of November to update the group on progress made.”

A group member added: ” I feel pain and anger at what my family have been through, maybe something will happen now – I don’t know.”

Next Steps

After the October break, group members will meet with Dr Olivia Swann, Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at Edinburgh University.

Dr Swann worked with the parents group earlier this year on their publication and told group members that “strong scientific evidence has shown that poor housing can affect someone’s physical and mental health throughout their life.”

This is a very worrying concern for group members and highlights the need to address the area’s housing emergency now.

THE REPORT:

Housing Report FINAL AW (1) (3)Download

Home, sweet home? North Edinburgh’s housing emergency

LOCAL PARENTS LAUNCH DAMNING REPORT ON HOUSING CRISIS

North Edinburgh Parents Action Group has launched an exhibition and publication highlighting the horrific housing conditions local people are being forced to live in.

The group also screened a new film about the lived experience of a local woman’s heart-breaking attempts to secure a decent home for her children.

North Edinburgh Parents Group hope that the event held at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre yesterday will draw attention to the significant impact that poor housing is having on local families’ physical and mental health and will send a clear message to politicians at all levels of government that urgent action is required to tackle North Edinburgh’s housing crisis.

Guests were welcomed by Royston Wardieburn Community Centre chairperson Billy Fitzpatrick and the event was launched by Forth SNP councillor Stuart Dobbin, who has been taking a particular interest and holding surgeries on the issue:

“Living in a home safe from Damp and Mould should be a basic right that all Council and Private tenants should enjoy.

“This important event was made all the more powerful and moving by hearing the testimony of women who, with their families, have to live with Damp and Mould and the exhibition showing pictures from inside their homes.

“Dampness creates a risk to our physical health and our mental health. It impacts on the future life chances of our children. And if not addressed, it places additional burdens on our doctors and the wider NHS services.

“This is the issue that I am most passionate about addressing as a Councillor. By my estimate about one quarter of all Council dampness cases in Edinburgh are in North Edinburgh.

“I have been raising cases and campaigning within the Council for faster action to be taken to eradicate damp from tenants homes, and as a result, the Council has now set up a dedicated, skilled team to do just that. Early days and a lot to do.

“I want to hear from residents who have damp and mould, or are having difficulty getting the problems addressed.

“I will be at Pilton Community Health Project tomorrow morning (Friday) from 09.15-11.00 if anyone needs to discuss this or any other matter that I can help with. Or you can email me – cllr.stuart.dobbin@edinburgh.gov.uk”

Few who attended the event could fail to have been moved by the heart-rending stories of local woman struggling to be heard. The women, for many of whom English is not their first language, bravely shared their dreadful experiences to a packed room.

As one said after the event: “Speaking to a big crowd made me very nervous and I wasn’t sure that I would be able to do it.

“But we all did do it – we had to do it. We want people to hear how we are living.”

A spokesperson for the group said: “We understand that there are no simple solutions or easy fixes to Edinburgh’s current housing emergency.

“However, Edinburgh is one of the richest cities in the country and it is time that all levels of government – Edinburgh Council, the Scottish Government and the UK government – come together and prioritise spending on improving housing conditions in this city.

“We are serious about our demands and we are prepared to do whatever it takes to secure a decent place to live. We hope that we do not have to resort to a class action which is the route that over 50 tenants from various local authorities have taken in order to secure a warm, safe home.

“However, nothing is off the table. Enough is enough!”

Sara, who spoke at the event, said: “We welcomed the opportunity to tell our stories and have our voices heard.

“We’re fed up of nobody listening to us and being blamed for causing the problem. It’s not our fault. It’s well documented that people have been having problems with dampness and mould down here for decades and its time that something was done about it for once and for all”.

Susan, another member of the group, added: “We are really disappointed that the ‘high heid yins’ didn’t come to our event to hear our stories and see for themselves the conditions that people are having to put up with.

“We will be making sure that they all get a copy of our report and we will be expecting to hear from them soon about how they are going to respond to our demands. They need to understand that we’re not going away.”

Dr Olivia Swann, Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Infectious Disease at Edinburgh University, also spoke at the event.

Thanking the women for their moving testimonies, Olivia’s presentation explained how homes are much more than just physical structures and made clear that “strong scientific evidence has shown that poor housing can affect someone’s physical and mental health throughout their life”.

North-Edinburgh-Housing-Presentation-010524 Download

Sara says this is an extremely worrying fact for those of us with young children who have been living in mouldy homes for most of their young lives.

Dawn Anderson, Director of Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP), who attended the event along with members of her Board, including former Leith MP/MSP and Holyrood Health Secretary Malcolm Chisholm, said: “We are very concerned about the problems the parents group has raised.

“PCHP has been supporting people to get help for some time. One parent has been working with Media Education on a new film featuring the nine year battle of Anita, a local women, desperately trying to escape her damp house”.

Dawn explained how it was fitting that the parents action group had called their exhibition ‘Home Sweet Home’: “It’s 40 years since PCHP was established in North Edinburgh and dampness and ill-health was one of the first issues the campaigners worked on. Meetings with local parents led to a womens’ group forming.

“They produced a slide show called “Home Sweet Home” and presented it to health professionals in the area. This resulted in The Scottish Executive backing a research project conducted by the University of Edinburgh who established a direct link between dampness and ill-health all those years ago.

“There have been countless studies on this issue over the years which have drawn the same conclusions. Sadly, we can see from Anita’s film and from the parents stories and photographs, little has changed and family’s in the area are still faced with health threatening living conditions.”

The Group is already planning a follow-up event to build on the momentum created by yesterday’s launch.

HOME

A poem by members of North Edinburgh Parents Action Group

The perfect home is

dry and warm

and doesn’t have mould or furniture on clothes.

It doesn’t

smell of dampness or chemicals or bleach

and there’s even

a drying area to dry your wet stuff.

It’s comfortable and safe and

doesn’t make you ill.

It isn’t overcrowded and

there’s plenty of room

for the kids to study and play

or just be alone.

In the perfect home

we’ve all got a bedroom

and there’s even a separate living room.

The perfect home doesn’t need lots of repairs

everything has been fixed and

is shiny and new.

But the best thing about it

and this we agree

our home is permanent

and is perfect for you and me.

The report:

Housing-Report-FINAL-AW-1-2 Download

Britain in grip of ‘mould crisis’

BRITAIN is in the grip of a new mould crisis, a leading property association has warned. The National Association of Property Buyers says they are seeing more and more cases of mould infestations inside properties.

And they’ve warned the problem is going to get worse and wll become a bigger issue for many homeowners and renters in the New Year.

Spokesman Jonathan Rolande has now called for a national awareness campaign to drive up knowledge and information about the problem.

He said: “Damp and mouldy homes don’t just make life a misery – they put lives at risk. I fear the cost of living crisis is only making this issue more acute.

“I am seeing more and more cases of this at the moment in properties I am viewing and in pictures shared with me by colleagues in the industry.”

Explaining the main reasons properties suffer with dampness, Mr Rolande said: “Rain is a massive contributory factor. This can enter the home through a porous external wall or because of defective guttering or roofing. Once it has penetrated it soaks into insulation and plasterwork. This is a perfect environment for mould to grow. The UK is experiencing increasing amounts of torrential rainfall.

“Rising damp is a problem too. A more unusual cause as most properties built after 1930 have an adequate damp proof course (DPC) to stop moisture from the ground from entering the home. However, the DPC can be breached if soil or paving is built up around the outside walls.

“Condensation often creates damp as well. We all experience condensation in our homes when cooking or after a shower. Good ventilation is key, moisture has to be allowed to escape. Many people don’t ventilate adequately in an effort to preserve warmth in the home.”

TIPS ON HOW TO BEST DEAL WITH MOULD

*Switching on the heating for at least twenty minutes in the morning will even out the temperature and stop the cold spots where condensation settles. Warmer air increases airflow too which allows moisture to escape more easily.

*Ventilate. If safe to do so, leave a window slightly open whenever you can and always when cooking or bathing.

*Dry clothes outside when possible or in a ventilated room. Tumble driers cause less condensation.

*Use moisture traps or a dehumidifier to catch excess water.

*Remember that our homes are now more airtight – double glazing and insulation keeps the bills down but stops normal airflow.

*Some plants – ferns and orchids – reduce humidity and they look nice too

*Check the structure, damp can be a pipe leak or rain getting in through the brickwork. Check tiles and gutters are sound too.

*Use lids on cooking pans – it saves money too.

*Keep furniture away from walls to increase air movement

*Remove any mould quickly using mild bleach.

Shelter – Housing Drop-In at PCHP

Carol from Shelter Scotland advises Families and Pregnant Women around any housing issues but mainly damp and mould, and overcrowding.

She will be here at PCHP on the first and third Fridays of November and December from 10am until 12pm. Come along to meet her if these issues are affecting you!