A NHS worker living with her blind mother in an “unlivable” mould-covered flat feels “let down” by council after her pleas to move have gone unanswered for more than a year.
The healthcare assistant, who asked not to be named, said their 'hellhole' home had damp and mould growing in every room of the two-bed property in Kings Heath, Birmingham.
The 44-year-old, who works at a major Birmingham hospital, said the conditions had deteriorated over the last five years, leaving her now living in what she has branded “Birmingham’s worst flat”.
Mould grows on the walls, ceiling and doors in the living room, bathroom, kitchen and both bedrooms, she told BirminghamLive.
The property has been repainted - but mould continues to return, she added.
"Our council flat must be in one of the worst states in Birmingham," the NHS worker, who has worked through the pandemic, she said.
"I feel extremely let down by the council. I can't cope any more, my anxiety is through the roof and I'm not sleeping. We need to be moved. We've put up with this for long enough."
The woman lives with her disabled mum, 74, who suffered a stroke last year.
She said she felt let down by the city council, which she said had yet to relocate them after more than a year.
The pair were blamed for causing damp conditions in the flat through poor ventilation when cooking and drying clothes following a contractor report commissioned by the council last year.
However, she refuted that claim and said windows were open.
"To make it worse we were blamed for causing the damp through cooking and drying washing, but we keep the windows open," she said.
"Apparently there was no water penetration through the walls (in the report). We were told it must be us as no other flat are like this in the block.
"A lot of them (the flats) are privately-owned now with work being done on them. But ours is council-owned and no-one has bothered.
"It's beyond repair. Washing over or painting over the mould won't make a difference as it will continue to grow back.
"My mum is vulnerable and I'm asthmatic. I feel we deserve some sort of an apology from the council. They have just been so rude. No-one is listening to me.
"The housing officer doesn't even take my calls any more."
The council apologised for the condition of the property and said it "remained fully committed to treating all the mould in the property."
"We are sorry for the poor living conditions caused by the mould in this tenant's property," a council spokesman said.
"Birmingham City Council has been in regular contact with the tenant about the issues, most recently just before Christmas when a full survey was done.
"The necessary jobs were raised that day for contractors to begin work but the tenant was not satisfied with the outcome of the inspection so the work could not commence.
"We remain fully committed to treating all the mould in the property and will begin work as soon as the tenant is satisfied.
"We have also been giving them advice about how they can limit the mould in the property and discussing rehousing them in line with our allocation policy."
