who do i go to for help?

Question

my council flat is in very bad condition and damp is the worst problem for me i repainted the bedroom two weeks ago and the damp is already showing through my housing officer has visited today and tried to make me feel stupid this is a big problem because i have a 15 month old daughter and the house isnt safe for her to live in with such bad conditions wh can i go to for help i am on the waiting list for a new house but i am 3 years down the queue

Answer 1

Hi there I would go to the citizen advice bureau CAB and get advice from them. The council has a responsibility to provide suitable and healthy housing that is fit for purpose..

Meanwhile it helps to keep the doors closed whilst cooking as the steam can cause damagaing condensation on walls that sound as though they are not cavity walls. And whenever it is suitable and warm enough open the windows to let the air circulate throughout that bedroom.

I admire you for requesting a housing officce to visit if more people followed suit then substandard accommodation may be improved.

This government and previous governments whilst giving the right to buy for council tenants have not invested in housing for those who not able at present o buy their own homes.

Keep on at them and don't worry if they make you feel stupid. However, always arm yourself with as much correct information as possible so that you have right on yourside. Many of these public sector white collar workers (blue ones in disguise) are so full of their own importance that they are apt to forget who pays their wages. And they have tendency to talk down to folk.

Good luck and if the situation gets much worse go to your doctor and tell him that living in the conditions you are living in are not fit for purpose. He might write to your local authority housing department for you to put forward your case for rehousing.


Sorry to rant so, but I get so annoyed at the way people are expected to live in substandard accommodation in the 21st century.

EDIT: I think if you look at all the salient points made on by us all you will be armed with the right thing to do and the correct palces to go and seek help.

Good luck and best wishes to you. Try to smile the weather will soon be warmer and you and your daughter will be able to get about more..

Answer 2

Take photos and show them to your Doctor - ask him to report on possible medical conditions caused by this mould and damp - then get the council in again and show them the report and tell them you want the damp problem sorted - it may be a simple fix - like a blocked guttering - or you will hold them responsible for any illnesses caused to your child by the problem!

Answer 3

Contact your GP, Health visitor and Social worker (if you have one) to ask each of them to provide a rehousing support letter outlining the details and detrimental effects of living in damp conditions to you and your child. This will give you some extra points towards your rehousing. They also need to keep your home in a good state of repair, check the tenancy agreement. There's obviously a leak somewhere causing the damp, they need to repair this for you and to arrange to have the walls sealed with PVA and repainted.

Answer 4

Bypass the housing department completely and go straight to Environmental Health, if your walls become mouldy there is a very real danger to you and your daughter if you inhale the spores.

Environmental Health are obliged to investigate, however if they take too long threaten the housing department with going to Trading Standards, the Health and Safety Executive and the local newspaper, they'll deal with it then!

Good luck, hope this helps

Answer 5

Make an appointment to see your local Councillor and get them on your side. Be determined and persistent or you'll be ignored and pushed to the end of the queue by the Council. Good luck to you.

Answer 6

Environmental Health department of your local council .They are obliged to make sure your flat is safe and healthy!

Answer 7

Go to the local government ombudsman http://www.lgo.org.uk/
they are the people to complain to if the Council is failing you

Answer 8

Get working so you don't have to accept a moldy charity home. This could be the turning point for you, where you begin to control your own environment instead of accepting what you're given or having to force someone else to do the right thing.

Answer 9

Contact the "Housing Authority" in the city you live in.

Answer 10

Go to the council and tell them what you want or what has happened. i'll find out for you.