East London resident living in mould-riddled home demands he be re-housed while his home is repaired

An east London resident living in a home riddled with mould and water damage is demanding he and his family be re-housed to allow for essential works to take place.

Chris lives in Connett House in Tower Hamlets with his wife, a nurse at the Royal London Hospital, and four children.

LondonWorld has previously reported on flooding issues suffered by residents living in Connett House. Several tenants, including Chris, told how every time there was heavy rain, their homes were hit with severe leakages, causing extensive property damage and issues such as black mould.

Tower Hamlets Community Housing (THCH), which owns and manages the block, has since said it has identified and resolved the problem resulting in the flooding. Some of the residents living in Connett House have however said they remain unconvinced, and await to see if any future leakages occur.

When LondonWorld visited Chris previously, he highlighted some of the damage to his home, from mould to exposed pipes and dangling wires where a light used to be fixed on his ceiling.

Since then, he said THCH had replaced the light, but that the majority of the other issues have persisted, some of them going back years.

“We are not happy. We are not happy,” he said. “I even wrote a letter, my son wrote a letter to them when he was about 13 or 12, in 2020. He’s 16 now. He wrote to them [saying] my parents, my mum especially, put her life on the line during Covid.”

He added his youngest, a six-year-old girl with autism, struggles in particular, but that all of his children “are terrified already”.

A spokesperson for THCH said the housing association is trying to arrange a time with Chris to proceed with works to repair and redecorate his home.

However, Chris is demanding he and his family, which includes a six-year-old daughter with autism, be re-housed while the works are completed.

“They have to do the mould, they have to put in new plasterboard, they have to do the bathroom. It’s a big job. This is a small flat for six people,” he said.

THCH has so far refused, saying the scale of the repairs and decorating tasks “aren't extensive enough to justify a temporary move”. 

A spokesperson said: “Hotel accommodation is only provided when the nature of works require the property to be vacant. Offering hotel stays for every family facing similar decorative works would not be a reasonable or affordable option for a small social landlord. It's essential for us to ensure fair services for all. 

“The planned work is set to be completed within two days, and our contractors will do whatever they can to minimise any disturbance.”

As well as calling to be temporarily re-housed while the works are carried out, Chris is also hoping THCH will move him and his family into a larger property permanently, something they have been pushing for for more than a decade.

The lack of space, with six people living in a two-bedroom flat, has gotten worse as his children have gotten older, he said. His children have hardly any space to study, making it particularly tough for his eldest, who at 16 is wanting to go to medical school in a couple of years.

Chris, who works on a construction site, said he cannot find anywhere to rent on the private market “because it’s too expensive. I have got kids.”

His hope is that THCH are able to relocate the six of them to a new, larger home.

“All I want is, if they have a house for us we will move. And we will pay them,” he said, adding the family are not on any kind of benefits.

A spokesperson for THCH said: “We've had Chris's home inspected and have arranged the necessary treatment for the damp and mould issues. We understand the comfort a new home might provide for the family and have provided advice on joining the Local Authorities housing register and exploring a mutual exchange.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and ensure that all remedial work is completed as quickly and effectively as possible.”