A desperate mum-of-two said her family cannot live a normal life due to mould in her flat that she fears has caused health problems for one of her daughters.
A year ago, Chelsea Hirst was provided with a place to live by one of the largest housing associations in the country, Sanctuary Housing, after struggling with homelessness.
The woman said she is grateful for the help she received, but the flat is not suitable for her family to live in, especially her small children.
Miss Hirst and her two daughters, aged three and four, said trying to deal with the mould is impacting their wellbeing.
The Ipswich mum said: “I feel so down in the dumps. I can't live a normal life.
“I can’t put clothes away where they need to be because they will go mouldy.
“We have mould on our clothes, furniture, kids’ toys, and even mattresses.
“We have been left without kitchen flooring for a good few months now because there was damp in the kitchen, so they ripped the flooring up and took some of the wall away.”
Miss Hirst added that she “fears for her children's lives” as one of her daughters has been struggling with a cough.
She said: “My daughter has had a respiratory wheeze and now has inhalers with montelukast medication to take.
“She’s had a nasty cough for over a month now, and she’s been suspected of being asthmatic."
The worried mother added: “It’s not fair on us to struggle with mould at our home. It’s affecting my mental health now.
“I’m emotionally frustrated and losing sleep because I’m still checking if my children are breathing.”
Miss Hirst said that Sanctuary workers treated the mould twice, but it came back again.
Due to taking care of her children on her own, she was not able to agree to every appointment date offered by Sanctuary workers.
Miss Hirst said she would appreciate the Sanctuary's help in looking for a new flat for her family to move into.
A spokesperson for Sanctuary said: “We are committed to supporting Miss Hirst and have carried out significant work in her home over the past few months.
“While a number of agreed appointments have been postponed and rescheduled for various reasons, we have rearranged the most recent appointment from earlier this month – which was cancelled at Miss Hirst’s request – for Wednesday, December 13.
“In addition, we are also happy to offer Miss Hirst further information and guidance on how she can look for an alternative property to move into.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here