A distressed mother has claimed her three children are struggling to breathe and one is ‘going deaf’ because their £2,000-a-month council flat is covered in mould.
Aisha Hussain, 31, has lived in the flat with her sons – two, 13 and 16 – for a year with no improvement.
Now Shay, 13, is going deaf in both ears because his nose is severely blocked – resulting in him having to go to hospital to get help, the mother said.
Her eldest, 16-year-old Justin, is asthmatic and was prescribed steroids while using an asthma mask to help him breathe.
Aisha Hussain, 31, lives in a mould infested flat with her three sons – two-year-old Shahroz (left) and two teenage boys
Sixteen-year-old Justin (left) is asthmatic while 13-year-old Shay (right with his two-year-old brother) is ‘going deaf’ from a severely blocked nose
The mould appeared on the walls of Ms Hussain’s flat in Hounslow, London, in the living room and on her children’s bedroom walls
The mother tried to use mould remover and contacted her landlord who manages the property
Ms Hussain’s youngest child Shahroz, two, suffers from sinus issues and has to sleep in his mother’s bed as his own is covered in mould, she said.
The mould appeared on the walls of the flat in Hounslow, London, in November 2021 in the living room and on the children’s bedroom walls.
The mother-of-three tried to use mould remover and contacted her landlord – who manages the property – but said she is ‘slowly giving up’.
On November 18, 2022, Ms Hussain herself was admitted to Northwick Park Hospital with breathing problems and heart palpitations.
She was kept in overnight for observations and given tablets to reduce stress and kept on a drip to keep her hydrated.
Ms Hussain was admitted to Northwick Park Hospital with breathing problems and heart palpitations in November last year
Ms Hussain is due to leave the flat in April after the council advised her not to renew her tenancy, but she currently has nowhere to go
Ms Hussain is due to leave the flat in April after the council advised her not to renew her tenancy, but the family currently has nowhere to go, she said.
‘It is so stressful. My health itself is very poor due to the amount of stress I am going through,’ said the mother.
‘I got my children a few Christmas presents and some of them are damaged with mould already.
‘This month it has been a year since I have been fighting. My eldest son has got worse, the doctors have put him on a stronger pump, and the damp has caused a lot of damage.’
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She added: ‘My bed is covered in mould so I have to sleep on the sofa.
‘The council found me a property but the landlord of that property said no.
The mother said: ‘This month it has been a year since I have been fighting’
Ms Hussain added: ‘It is so stressful. My health itself is very poor due to the amount of stress I am going through’
‘I had a meeting and got told I could sign the agreement but the next day I was told it wasn’t progressing any further.
‘My current lease finishes in April and the council doesn’t want me to renew the tenancy.’
Ms Hussain explained that she has a disrepair claim but ‘nothing seems to be getting done’.
‘I am starting all over again looking for a new property – it is stressful,’ she said.
She added that she ‘doesn’t know what else to do’ and has set up a GoFundMe page to help with the costs of clothes and items the family had to throw away and replace.
‘Every property I have been in since the age of 16 has had a problem – I haven’t had a home to call home,’ said Ms Hussain.
Ms Hussain is particularly concerned about the mould after it was confirmed that two-year-old Awaab Ishak died from exposure to black mould in his Rochdale home
‘I don’t have anywhere else to go and I can’t go to a B&B as they will stick me in one bedroom with me and my three children.
‘I am paying around £2,000 a month for a flat that is unliveable. In October, my case officer said I would get moved, I am still here.
‘It is not just the winter. In the summer you can’t breathe in this flat as there are three windows in total.’
To donate to the family’s fundraising page, visit: https://gofund.me/11814d2c.
A spokesperson for Brent Council said: ‘Our priority is to find Ms Hussain and her family a safe and secure home. Our housing team has been in regular contact with Ms Hussain, offering her the option of temporary accommodation until a new home is found.
‘The welfare of the family is our main concern. We are continuing enforcement action regarding the landlord while working with Ms Hussain to find a property that meets her family’s needs. We would want to assure her that we are there to support her and her family from becoming homeless.’
MailOnline has approached London Councils for comment.
