A woman has said mould and damp in her home has caused health problems and left her sleeping on a mattress on the floor.
29-year-old Lauren McNulty has lived at her address on Harrop Street in Little Hulton for nearly two years.
She said the last 12 months have made her feel constantly tired and unwell due to the problem.
A visit to an out-of-hours doctor in December saw her diagnosed with sinusitis after she reported ‘an allergic reaction due to mould issues.’
She was also diagnosed with allergic rhinitis in the same month – a condition when symptoms including coughing and sneezing is caused by an allergic reaction to things such as mould.
Ms Mcnulty first noticed damp and mould patches in her bedroom and bathroom in January 2023, and reported it to her landlord, ForHousing.
After an initial inspection, she claims the company took months to do anything, leaving the mould to spread around the house and even getting inside her clothes drawers.
After work to fix the issues happened in July, she says the mould came back and she had to replace lots of furniture because it was badly damaged by the problem.
She now wants to get a new home but she said progress has been slow.
Ms McNulty told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I have been kept in a property that is known to make me poorly, but they don’t have anywhere for me to go.
“All my items within the property are damaged and I am being constantly ignored. I am still waiting to hear on a property which is taking them a month to fix.
“They have made no effort to put me somewhere else even though they are aware of how it’s affecting my health.
“I don’t know what to do as I have done absolutely everything and gotten nowhere. I can’t stay in this property any longer.
“It’s making me so unwell physically and mentally, my silent panic attacks are starting due to the stress.
“I’m constantly tired due to my body constantly fighting the mould.”
The health problems caused by a reaction to the mould have also impacted her work and her ability to drive.
ForHousing has apologised to her for the problem and is organising a move to get her into a new home.
Nigel Sedman, executive director at the company, said: “I am very sorry for the ongoing issues at Ms McNulty’s home.
“We know we need to do better when it comes to tackling damp and mould and are working very hard to improve. We always take the safety and health of our tenants very seriously.
“Although damp repairs had been previously undertaken at Ms McNulty’s home, a damp inspection in November 2023 had shown that further major works were required to fully investigate the root cause of the problem.
“It was agreed with Ms McNulty that a permanent move to another home was the best option. An alternative home was offered to Ms McNulty in November 2023, but was declined due to the location. A second home has now been offered which Ms McNulty has accepted.
“The new home is currently being made ready for Ms McNulty to move into as soon as possible and will be ready in the next few weeks.
“In the meantime, Ms McNulty has agreed to be moved into temporary accommodation. We have offered her a number of options and we are working closely with Ms McNulty to reach a decision.
“We will continue to support Ms McNulty throughout this process and ensure that she is happy with her new home.”
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