A Fife mum says she considered suicide due to the stress of living in a damp council flat.
Emma Buist revealed that being unable to provide a safe environment for her two children pushed her into depression.
The 28-year-old has suffered from mental health problems for some time but the state of her Burntisland flat has made her symptoms worse.
And she says she feels like “an unsatisfactory mother” to daughters Anna, 9, and three-year-old Lucy.
Emma and her partner, engineer Ryan Young, have been sleeping on a mattress on the living room floor for two years because of the mould growing in their bedroom.
It started in a cupboard and has slowly spread into other rooms of the Cotburn Crescent flat.
And while the couple first complained to Fife Council at the end of 2020, it has still not been fixed.
“Everything that was in that cupboard was stinking,” said Emma.
“It was all covered in mould and had to be thrown out – shoes, clothes and toys were destroyed.”
‘Last-ditch attempt to get my family out’
Emma opened up about her plight and her health problems after reaching her wit’s end.
“This is a last-ditch attempt to get my family out of this environment,” she said.
“I’ve had suicidal thoughts. I felt my children would be better housed if I was out the picture.”
Although she received help for her feelings, she still has stress and anxiety.
“It took 13 months for the council to even admit there was a problem,” she said.
“None of the advisory solutions has worked and now I’m no further forward while I wait for more work to be done.
“I even asked to go homeless, thinking that would help, but I was told my children would go into care.”
Fife Council says it has been trying to solve the issue and carried out a damp assessment at the start of last year.
But it took until October to put in window vents and paint the cupboard with anti-fungal paint.
“Within a month it was mouldy again,” said Emma, who works in the bakery at Morrison’s in Kirkcaldy.
‘Mortified to be in this situation’
A fresh investigation by a damp specialist revealed high moisture levels in the ground-floor property.
But the lifting of a concrete sub-floor is on hold because of asbestos.
“In the meantime, I’m cooped up in this horrible damp flat with two children,” said Emma.
“They keep saying it’s condensation and they initially said it was because there are too many people living in the flat.
“We’ve had extractor fans and we’re having to run a dehumidifier in the middle of an energy crisis.
“I’m mortified to be in this situation. I’m constantly being told our clothes stink.
“It’s a joke that they’re continuing to take money off hard-working families for sub-standard housing.”
Fife Council response
Fife Council housing manager Elaine Campbell said she understood the family’s concerns.
And she added that the council is working to get to the bottom of the issue.
“Unfortunately, sometimes damp is not an easy issue to fix and we are continuing to investigate the cause in this case,” she said.
“Inspections of the floor and roof are taking place and we are keeping the family up to date with progress.
“We’ve visited the family a number of times to make sure any work being done is co-ordinated and we’ll continue to keep in touch.”
When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org ,or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
