Mother is forced to sleep on the living room sofa with her young children because their bedrooms are infested with mould and carpets are wet with water

• Stephanie Shore, 28, is living in a council flat in Cambridge infested with mould
• Miss Shore has lived there for five years with children Hope, 12, and Oscar, five
• Despite promises, she says Cambridge City Council has failed to take action 
• The property has dripping wet carpets and black mould in every one of its rooms

A mother whose flat is consumed with damp and mould says she has been reduced to sleeping on the sofa with her young son, in an attempt to keep him safe.

Stephanie Shore lives in a flat owned by Cambridge City Council (CCC) and described feeling ‘abandoned’ as she deals with dripping wet carpets and black mould in every room.

Stephanie, 28, who suffers from an autoimmune disorder and scoliosis among other health issues, moved into the Cambridge flat in 2018 from a mother and baby unit. 

She said the flat already had mould at the time but she was rushed into the accommodation and claims she was not allowed to reject it. Mould in council properties has become a growing public concern after the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020.

Stephanie Shore, 28, and her son Oscar, five, live in a flat owned by Cambridge City Council (CCC) with dripping wet carpets and black mould in every room

Ms Shore said: ‘The mould is progressing and it has grown really rapidly no matter how many times I clean it and what I clean it with it just keeps coming back.

At the time, she said she was told by the council that work would be done to repair the issues but after almost five years, the mould has taken over.

Ms Shore says every room in the flat has mould but the worst affected room is her bedroom as her carpet is constantly soaked in water.

Her son Oscar, five, and daughter Hope, 12, have bedrooms covered in black mould, forcing the family into the living rooms where they share two sofas to sleep on. She says she has noticed health issues in her children who are left coughing after spending just minutes in their bedrooms.

Not only is it affecting the family physically but mentally, as mother-of-two says the mould is ‘destroying her’ and she is too embarrassed to have anyone over.

Ms Shore said: ‘The mould is progressing and it has grown really rapidly no matter how many times I clean it and what I clean it with it just keeps coming back.

‘If I rub my hand on my bedroom carpet it’s soaked. My son is now sleeping with me on the living room sofa because the mould that is rapidly growing around his windows is now turning into black fluffy mould.

‘Me, my son and my daughter have experienced health problems because of this. My daughter lives with me every other weekend and when she stays over she’s coughing straight away.

Ms Shore says every room in the flat has mould but the worst affected room is her bedroom and her carpet is constantly soaked in water.

Ms Shore described the mould as ’embarrassing’ and says she is uncomfortable inviting people to her home because of it

‘Mentally it’s affecting me and the mould is embarrassing, I don’t invite people around as the mould is getting out of control. I’ve got mould-resistant paint on my walls and it’s growing on that.’

In other parts of the country, a London mother said mould in her one-bedroom-flat left her fearing for her three children as they wake up to condensation puddles in their bedroom everyday, while another woman in Camden says her property is riddled with fungus.

Cambridge City Council says a visit to Ms Shore’s property is arranged for February 1, with the intention of cleaning away mould and installing a new kitchen vent and bathroom extractor fan. But so far, Stephanie feels the council has ‘abandoned’ her after providing only two plastic air vents which she says have done nothing to help.

She said: ‘The council keeps saying it is condensation and it is my fault.

‘Someone from the council came unannounced yesterday [January 9] to come and look at the mould and handed me a bit of paper that just said how I should deal with condensation. It was a slap in the face, I’m trying to battle day in and day out but the mould is just destroying me.’

‘I feel completely abandoned, they said if they put these air vents in it would stop it but they haven’t.’

Ms Shore said a council officer’s response was to hand her a piece of paper on how to deal with condensation, which she described as like ‘a slap in the face’

Cambridge County Council says that a visit to the property will be carried out on February 1, with the intention to clean away any mould

A government survey suggests that damp, mould and condensation are the most commonly reported problems among social housing tenants unhappy with the maintenance and safety of their homes.

Councillor Gerri Bird, executive councillor for housing, said: ‘We are sorry to hear about anyone who is suffering with mould and have been working hard to raise awareness of how tenants can address these concerns – whether through reducing condensation which leads to mould, or seeking support from the council to deal with persistent problems.

‘Everyone can find support on dealing with condensation and mould on our website. Go to cambridge.gov.uk and search for “condensation”. 

‘In this instance, a previously arranged visit to the property was already scheduled for February 1, with the intention of cleaning away mould.

‘In addition, on the same date, a new kitchen vent and bathroom extractor fan are scheduled for installation to address issues identified with the property. 

‘It is anticipated that with the remedial action undertaken, along with advice provided to the tenant on how to reduce condensation in their home, this should help to prevent the issues from reoccurring.’

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