Lambeth Council will now review the ‘hazardous’ conditions the family has been ‘trapped’ in
A family whose baby has been hospitalised six times due to extreme damp and mould in their cramped flat could finally be moved after a protest forced the council’s hand.
More than 60 members of south London campaign group Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth (HASL) – including families with young children – occupied Lambeth Council’s housing office on Friday over what they say is a failure to to help vulnerable tenants in the private renting sector.
The family of seven have been living in the one-bedroom flat in Lambeth since 2017. The damp and mould issue started in 2019 and is now so severe all family members are forced to sleep in the living room.
According to Amin Nuru, one-year-old Dareen’s father, the council has ignored at least four letters from various medical professionals raising concerns about the life threatening impact of the property and calling for urgent re-housing.
In letters written to the council seen by openDemocracy, medical staff have sent repeated warnings about the impact of overcrowding and mould on Naru’s children.
In one letter sent last month, doctors warned that the condition of the flat “could lead to a severe life-threatening attack” for Dareen.
Nuru told openDemocracy that before Dareen and her twin, Haneen, were born, the family learned Dareen had a hole in their heart. He warned the council about the state of the property before the babies were born but nothing was done, he said.
“A hole in her heart affects her breathing. We told the council this before she was born but they ignored us – they didn’t say anything. We tried everything [to contact the council]. Nothing,” he added.
Within five days of being born, Dareen was taken to the emergency room due to breathing problems, and was hospitalised for nine days. Since then, she has been hospitalised five more times. Following a recent visit to the GP, Dareen’s parents were told the twins may have asthma.
According to HASL, an environmental health inspector from the council visited the family in July and decided they were not overcrowded to a ‘statutory’ level in their home.
‘Statutory overcrowding’ is a legal definition for severe overcrowding that councils should take action to resolve. The group added that it is “confusing how Lambeth Council decided seven people in a one bedroom flat were not statutory overcrowded”.
Since then, the council has been accused of not taking any action against the private landlord “profiting from intolerable conditions” and leaving the family trapped in dangerous conditions.
Elizabeth Wyatt from HASL said: “It is shocking that the environmental health officer has incorrectly calculated the level of overcrowding and has been refusing to take any action on the family’s case despite the hazardous conditions he would have witnessed on his inspection. It is both morally and legally wrong. Despite escalating our complaints, no one in the council appears to want to take any responsibility.
“The council’s own housing policy allows for urgent re-housing in emergency situations like this but the council is refusing to implement their own policy. What are the family supposed to do? They cannot simply wait for their baby daughter to be hospitalised again.”
Police were called to the protest by the council, and threatened the protesters with removal.
A Lambeth Council spokesperson said there is a high demand and severe shortage of social housing in the area but that the family have now been allocated to a higher priority, band B, due to the baby’s urgent medical need.
“We have now agreed to review Mr Nuru’s application to ensure that the correct banding has been awarded,” the spokesperson added.
They continued: “Lambeth’s medical team has also approved the family for level-access ground-floor properties, CAT3. This indicates that their present living conditions are affecting their health to a marked degree, and a move is recommended to improve their health. They will have additional priority for level access ground floor flats that are advertised.
“Lambeth does everything it can to find the most suitable homes available for families who come to us for help… We are working hard to help find a new home for Mr Nuru and his family, but there are many applicants seeking family homes of this size and very few homes available.”
What are the family supposed to do? They cannot simply wait for their baby daughter to be hospitalised again.
Earlier this month, new reforms known as Awaab’s Law, were announced. The changes could force social housing landlords to repair unsafe and mould ridden homes within 24 hours – but will not apply to private landlords.
The changes follow demands from campaigners after two-year-old Awaab Ishak died in 2020 following prolonged exposure to mould in the one-bedroom flat rented from a social housing provider in Rochdale.
Nuru told openDemocracy he thought the protest was helpful but warned that other families are in similar positions. “This isn’t just a problem for us, it’s a lot of peoples’ problem as well, some maybe even worse. I’m hoping the council will help, not just me but other people as well.”
What's Your Reaction?
Veganuary’s impact has been huge –here are the stats to prove it