Council pledges no lives will be lost in Fife due to social housing damp

Fife Council is to review how it deals with damp and mould in its properties after the death of a child in England.

The local authority has pledged to improve properties with issues and said “all outstanding complaints” will be reviewed.

The Courier previously reported how a mum from Burntisland said she felt suicidal from living in a mouldy flat and another from Crail feared for her children after mould spread in every room.

The review comes after the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in Rochdale, Greater Manchester in 2020.

He was initially rushed to hospital with shortness of breath.

A coroner ruled that he died of a respiratory condition caused by exposure to mould. Following his death Awaab’s family have called for legislation to stop further deaths from mould in homes.

The news prompted Fife Council to begin looking into how it tackles the issue in its own properties.

A dedicated team will be set up to manage the review.

What does the review include?

Fife Council said the review includes six steps and all will be complete by March.

1. A call-in of all outstanding cases of dampness and condensation was requested at the end of November
2. An audit of actions taken to date and works still to be completed for all outstanding cases will be completed by February. Re-visits to properties will be part of this
3. Review of the processes and procedures including current actions taken to tackle dampness and condensation will be completed by late January
4. A dedicated staff group will be brought together with staff from housing and building services to provide a fast response to tenants’ complaints and support for area housing staff.
5. Staff are to be re-trained in February
6. All council tenants will be issued with information on progress by March.

Judy Hamilton, the council’s housing and building services spokesperson, said: “The death of Awaab Ishak in Rochdale has shocked us all and the council is determined that we take action to ensure that this does not happen in any council house in Fife.

“I am working closely with the housing service to move the review forward and I am certain that we can improve the living condition of our tenants who are living with dampness and condensation.

“Everyone in Fife has the right to live in decent, dry and affordable housing and I am determined that this should be the case for tenants affected by this problem.”