Calls have been made to take action on mouldy social housing in Dundee after a toddler died in England.
A coroner has revealed two-year-old Awaab Ishak’s death was a direct result of exposure to mould in the housing association flat in Rochdale he lived in.
It is now feared similar deaths will be seen in Dundee if reports of thousands of damp social housing properties are not dealt with.
It comes after it was revealed earlier this year more than 3,000 complaints about damp and mould have been made to Dundee City Council in the last five years.
Now, the council’s labour group leader Kevin Keenan is calling on local authority bosses to improve living conditions across the city.
He said: “Thank goodness we haven’t had a tragedy like this little boy but we need to act now to prevent such a situation occurring here in Dundee.
“That shocking finding has led me to renew calls for action to prevent and deal with mould and damp in Dundee.
“The council must take action.
“I have been contacted by very many constituents who are forced to live in houses that are damp and mouldy.
“This cannot be allowed to continue.”
Among the Dundee council tenants living in mouldy properties is lorry driver Paul Gagin, who was moved into a new flat at the start of this year due to mould.
After less than a year in his new Douglas home, he is suffering the same problems as in his Menzieshill flat, reported by The Courier last year.
The 54-year-old has spent thousands of pounds decorating and replacing furniture damaged by damp but is fighting a losing battle.
Paul, who has a lung condition said: “This is affecting my physical and mental health.
“It’s just awful having to live like this.
“Sadly this flat is no better.
“I have spent thousands of pounds decorating the flat and buying new furniture to replace what I had to throw out because it was ruined because of damp.
“The walls are damp, the bathroom floor is soaking, there is mould in the bathroom, the house stinks of damp and it’s permanently freezing.”
Paul’s story is one of many across the city.
In September we reported on a Dundee mum’s fears for the health of her four-month-old baby due to mould in their Craigiebank home.
Another city mum says her two children are now using inhalers while a Laatvian couple raised safety fears over mould around plug sockets.
Strathmartine councillor Mr Keenan has written to the council’s director of neighbourhood services, Elaine Zwirlein, to ask what is being done to improve the city’s housing stock.
He said: “I have been meaning to raise this matter for some time, but after the shocking finding at Rochdale Coroner’s Court, I feel I can’t delay any further.
“Given the current cost of living crisis, my fear is the issue of damp and mould will increase as families can’t afford to adequately heat their homes whilst simultaneously having sufficient ventilation.”
Dundee City Council offers energy advice
A Dundee City Council spokesman said advice on dealing with a home’s energy efficiency is available via the Dundee Energy Efficiency Advice Project.
He added: “Before someone moves into a council house it is inspected and necessary repairs to put the house in a habitable condition are carried out, this includes work to deal with condensation and/or dampness if the dampness is being caused by some feature of the house.
“The tenancy handbook, supplied to everyone who rents a council house when they sign their agreement, provides information on condensation, the difference between condensation and damp, what it does and how to avoid it.”
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