I’ve been stuck in a mouldy council house with ‘no heating’ for 6 years, why am I ignored?
A MOTHER who has been stuck in a mouldy council house with no heating for six years had told how she feels she is being ignored.
Sharifha Mohamud, 29, became homeless in 2015 and was given temporary accommodation on the Aylesbury estate in Southwark, London.
She claims she and her eight-year-old daughter have been dealing with constant leaks, mould since they moved in - and now there is no heating.
She told : “My daughter says she ‘wants to live somewhere where the heating works, where I do not feel ashamed to come home’.
“I tell my friends they can not come because we do not have hot water.”
The disrepair in the home has become so bad that Sharifha is worried about her daughter’s health.
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“I feel at a loss, I’m tired of fighting for a house… I’m really scared for my daughter and I’s health.”
She added: “I’ve been fighting for six years, I’ve been hopeful and patient. Why is it when I ask for help, I’m ignored?”
Sharifha says the radiators in their home burst in every room in March last year.
They were replaced a month later - but she says they have still been without heating for six months.
She said: “If the walls are bringing in cold air...it’s not safe. It’s causing a lot of issues for us, we go to sleep in full gear… we are constantly having to wear socks [and] slippers in our own house.”
Despite the fact she has been alerting the council to the problem for years, Sharifha claims she is being “ignored.”
And she says that repair teams that the council send to their flat just “spray and paint over” the mould.
She explained: “They can send repairs but it’s not repairing much if I have to call out for the same issue in the space of two months."
Southwark council have said that their housing team is currently in contact with Sharifha to discuss a possible move.
They added that they have over 15,000 households on their waiting list for a home- but have pledged to deliver 11,000 new council homes by 2043.
Southwark council say for households in temporary accommodation they have dedicated housing officers to provide the relevant support and assistance, recording details of any special requirements for individual households.
Stephanie Cryan, cabinet member for council homes and homelessness, told MyLondon: “The district heating at Aylesbury estate works on an automatic system that kicks in if the temperature consistently dips below a certain level for over five consecutive days.
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"This may mean it can appear to be intermittent, particularly if it’s an unusually warm autumn.
"As of this week, the heating system was turned on for the winter so will be consistent during the colder months.”
