Latest news with #Medact
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Experts warn of health epidemic sparked by Britain's housing crisis
Kyra, 46, had been trying for months to get her landlord to deal with the mould in her Tottenham flat. Living with her 16-year-old daughter and struggling with her own health, the London-born mother is worried about the physical and mental effect her housing issues are having on them. 'I'm always sick,' she says, 'I'm always sick in the house. I'm always sick. 'My blood pressure is rising, my anxiety ... I went to my GP thinking maybe it's the mould – I'm having a constant cough that's not going away. 'Every minute I'm at the doctor, my house is full of medications.' Health inspectors from the council have visited the property every month, and have asked Kyra's landlord to resolve the issue. But last month she says one told her that the council 'can't force him' to do anything. However, the council says that her landlord has made 'several important improvements' following their intervention. Not long after, Kyra received a section 21 'no-fault' eviction notice telling her she had to leave the flat she's lived in for four years. She's now looking for a new place to call home as her daughter tries to study for her upcoming GCSE exams. 'I don't want this to affect her because she has been working so hard and studying and extra classes,' says Kyra, 'I'm just so worried.' And she is far from alone in her challenging experience of being a private renter. A new first-of-its-kind survey of thousands of health workers has revealed that most believe housing issues are worsening health conditions in the UK. Conducted by health justice charity Medact, the survey of over 2,000 health workers including nurses and doctors found that two-thirds believe that making rent more affordable would reduce the strain on NHS. A similar proportion say that they regularly see children with health problems likely caused or worsened by insecure housing, while seven in ten have seen patients' mental health conditions caused or worsened by their housing problems. The shocking results come as part of Medact's 'Home Sick Home' report, which makes several recommendations to the government to break the link between housing issues and poor health. These include building good-quality social housing and introducing rent controls. Dr Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy is a Medact member and children's doctor. He deals with children's health problems on a daily basis, telling The Independent that the issues he's seeing are 'increasingly to do with the the homes in which they're living.' The pediatrician points to the tragic death of two-year old Awab Ishak in 2020, whose respiratory condition was caused by the mouldy conditions of the flat he was living in. The toddler's death sparked a review of landlord guidance and ultimately 'Awaab's Law' in 2023, which will require social landlords to fix dangerous damp and mould issues within a set time from October this year. In February, Labour pledged to widen the law as part of its landmark Renters' Rights Bill, extending it to private landlords. But damp and mould issues are 'just tip of the iceberg,' says Dr Amaran, adding that another key issue is 'how housing has become so unaffordable to people. 'And the extent to which, how much of the monthly income is going to rent means there's nothing left over for all the material needs that allow for a healthy childhood and for a healthy adolescence. 'So that means that children won't have money left for things like, particularly at the moment, energy bills, but also essentials like the school uniform, sports equipment, the opportunity to participate in social clubs, sports clubs, and so on.' Dr Abi O'Connor, researcher at the New Economics Foundation, said 'Private landlords have been allowed to increase rents to eye-watering levels and now we're seeing the consequences – it's making people and our economy sicker. If the government are interested in improving the economy for ordinary people, it is clear they must address the plague of unaffordable rents. 'In the short term they should introduce rent controls to give people stability, and in the long term they will need to build more social housing which is the only way to provide people with safe, affordable homes." Responding to Kyra's housing situation, Cllr Sarah Williams, Haringey Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning said: 'Our priority is to continue to raise standards in privately rented homes in the borough and make sure that tenants live in healthy, safe and well-managed homes. 'Following a report of poor standards, the landlord has undertaken several important improvements to the property in response to our intervention, including the installation of cavity wall insulation and added air vents to help remedy the damp and mould. 'We don't want to see any private renters evicted and our specialist team can provide additional support.'
BBC News
26-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Bristol: Barton House evacuation a 'mass-traumatising event'
The evacuation of Bristol's oldest tower block over safety fears was a "mass-traumatising event" for residents, health professionals have said in a than 250 people had to leave Barton House in November 2023 after concerns about the safety of the building in the event of a fire or a health justice campaign group, has published a report on the evacuation and aftermath, calling on Bristol City Council to rehome residents who still feel unsafe, and describing it as an "exceptional case of failure and neglect".The city council said it takes its duty of care to residents "very seriously", adding "we endeavour to support the residents of Barton House where we can". On 14 November 2023, Barton House residents were told by the council to leave their homes immediately after "major structural faults" were discovered, and a major incident was council said "essential work" had to be carried out, and many residents were placed in hotels before being allowed to return on 23 February council said at the time that concrete had not been attached properly when the tower was built in 1958 and it had not been constructed according to design a structural engineer said it was three flats out of 98 which were structurally union ACORN set up a Barton House branch in the aftermath of the May 2024, Bristol City Council said it was exploring several options for the future of Barton House, including demolition. Barton House residents and Medact representatives were due to present the report to Bristol city councillors on Wednesday at 15:00 report, produced by doctors and other medical professionals from the city, said residents' mental and physical health suffered as a result of the evacuation and by living conditions in temporary claims residents have had letters highlighting their concerns provided by health, social care and education professionals not considered as "serious enough to act on by the council".Medact and ACORN produced the findings after attending community meetings, and interviewing residents between 8 - 23 November total, nine households were interviewed, ranging from three to six people in each. Two further drop-in sessions were held earlier this report said it did not "speak for all residents, but certainly a significant number of them". The report said: "For some households, living in Barton House will never feel safe again no matter how many internal repairs are carried out."Adults and children are triggered by the smallest reminder of the fragility of the building – cracks in the walls, fire alarms malfunctioning, broken lifts."Many households have spent years waiting for their turn to move through the council's banding system. They have asked the council time and time again to be rehoused, but they have been ignored."The result has been generations of people forced to live in a building that they feel is a constant threat to their lives." Medact has also called for an independent investigation into Bristol City Council, compensation for residents and a public apology."The treatment of Barton House residents constitutes an exceptional case of failure and neglect which must be addressed to avoid further harm and suffering," the report added that the evacuation had been a "mass-traumatising event" causing "profoundly negative effects on adults and children"."In our interviews, residents commonly reported anxiety, low mood and hypervigilance, a distressing and disabling symptom commonly seen following traumatic events," the report said."The physical health of residents has also suffered from the effects of chronic mental stress as well as the appalling conditions of the temporary accommodation."Most notably, we found evidence of worsening respiratory disease, skin conditions, and debilitating impacts on sleep and eating," it added. 'Safe and decent homes' Councillor Barry Parsons, chair of the council's homes and housing delivery committee, acknowledged the report and thanked Medact for its work with Barton House residents and ACORN. "I was at Barton House during the evening of the evacuation and visited families who had to leave their homes in the weeks afterwards, so I saw first-hand some of the shock and distress that residents felt," Mr Parsons said."That's why I've commissioned the service to review the rehousing options for people who have been affected.""Our priority remains to ensure that the health and wellbeing of all residents living in council housing is supported and we are living up to our promise to ensure they live in safe and decent homes."The authority would consider the conclusions and recommendations over the coming weeks, he added, before issuing a formal response by the end of March and "updating residents on the actions we will take as a result".
