Northampton Mother ‘Terrified’ by Mould in Housing Association Home

A mother expressed that she was “terrified” for the well-being of herself and her six-month-old baby due to the presence of mould in their housing association residence. Jade Pack, who moved into a flat in Northampton in April, stated that she has now resorted to staying with family members after encountering difficulties in resolving the issue. The flat is overseen by Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH) on behalf of the Conservative-controlled West Northamptonshire Council. In a statement, the firm asserted that it addresses tenant reports of damp and mould “seriously.” Ms. Pack reported being “shocked” by the condition of the flat, which contains mould in its lounge and bedroom, when she took occupancy while 30 weeks pregnant. “The bedroom was unfit to sleep in,” she said. “I’m losing sleep. It’s impacting me mentally, emotionally. I really loved this place, but now I’m terrified of it. “It doesn’t feel like home any more – it’s just heartbreaking. It’s not fair.” Ms. Pack indicated that several contractors have visited the flat to assess the problem and perform work, but they have not yet identified a solution. NPH stated: “We have a dedicated in-house team who are responsible for tackling this issue. On occasion, where necessary, we bring in specialist skills via one of our contractors. “Some repairs have already been carried out to deal with the main cause of damp and mould reported in relation to this particular case.” NPH mentioned it was in “regular contact” with Ms. Pack and was awaiting her instruction for a “convenient time” to visit the property and complete the work. It further added: “We have advised the resident that NPH is not responsible for processing requests to move and provided them with the information to make a request, should they wish to apply.” James Hill, a Conservative councillor for the Billing and Rectory Farm ward on the authority, commented that the issues at Ms. Pack’s flat were “systemic of the issues I’ve seen across my ward which has a lot of NPH housing.” He stated: “I think NPH needs a wholesale review on how it’s governed. We need a complete reorganisation.” Last month, the Regulator of Social Housing identified serious failings within West Northamptonshire Council’s housing operation. West Northamptonshire Council has been approached for comment.