Islington Council’s five-point action plan to tackle damp and mould

The council promises to do more to stop damp and mould, and has said sorry for not dealing more quickly with some cases in the past.

The action plan includes: 

• Reviewing all damp and mould cases from the last three years - contacting tenants to make sure issues are resolved, and taking more action if needed
• Investing an extra £1million every year for a new damp and mould action team, including specialist surveyors and more funding for ventilation and insulation
• Training non-specialist staff - for example staff carrying out gas compliance checks - to identify damp and mould when visiting homes
• Managing a dedicated line for calls from council tenants concerned about damp and mould, so the council can book a survey and tackle the damp
• Working more closely with other local partner agencies to give joined-up help and support to residents including finance, housing needs, medical conditions and repairs

Cllr Una O’Halloran, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Homes and Communities, said: “We want everyone in Islington to have a place to call home, which is secure, decent and genuinely affordable.

“It’s vital tenants live in homes that are free from damp and mould.  We’re very sorry that in some cases we’ve fallen short of the high standards our residents deserve, and we need to do better.

“That’s why we’ve set out a five-point action plan, including contacting all residents with damp and mould cases from the last three years to make sure the problem was resolved, and taking more action if needed.

“We’ll invest an extra £1million in a new damp and mould action team, as well as training up non-specialist staff to help spot mould and damp.

“We’re setting up a dedicated line for damp and mould, and we’ll also work closely with other local organisations to give residents help and support on a range of issues.

“We will keep working to eradicate damp and mould until our tenants have the secure, decent, genuinely affordable homes they need.”

Earlier this month, the Housing Ombudsman announced an investigation into Islington Council for its handling of damp and mould reports.

The council has said it will welcome the ombudsman’s team and give all the help and support they need for their investigation.  

NOTES:

For more information on damp and mould in Islington please see the council website.