The Property Care Association (PCA) and the British Thoracic Society (BTS) are joining to deliver a webinar on substandard housing
The webinar is aimed at health, housing management, and property care professionals to demonstrate research into the impacts of damp and mould on living standards.
The webinar will be hosted by experts from both the PCA and BTS and will feature a Q&A session afterwards.
“We aim to help professionals deliver better support”
Sarah Garry, CEO of the PCA, and chair of the upcoming webinar, said: ““According to government figures, around 2 million people in England are currently living in homes with significant damp and/or mould.
“By combining expertise from both a health and property management perspective, we aim to help professionals deliver better support, advice and outcomes for people across the UK who are affected.
“The aim of this webinar is to provide valuable insights and information for anyone who is keen to understand how they can help people living with damp and mould.”
A presentation will also be given by Dr Laura-Jane Smith, BTS sustainability trustee, and consultant respiratory physician at King’s College Hospital. The presentation will concern the evidence of harm that GPs and thoracic consultants see, and the treatments available for said harm.
Dr Smith said: “As a consultant, my clinical interests include airways disease, integrated care, lung cancer and breathlessness and I am an active campaigner with MedAct on air pollution, housing and climate justice.
“My talk focus on how health impacts could be treated and highlight the questions to ask patients presenting with specific symptoms which could indicate an environmental problem.”
Social housing is particularly affected by damp and mould
Late last year, a study by Zehnder revealed an alarming estimate: 99.2% of social landlords are being affected by damp and mould somewhere in their housing stock. 32% of tenants stated that they have mould in 5-6 rooms of their home.
A further one in ten landlords stated they have mould in over half of their houses. There was a divide between what they believed to be the cause, with 41% blaming the weather, 36% blaming building age, 34% blaming humidity, 28% blaming condensation, 23% blaming poor ventilation, 22% blaming recent insulation, and 17% blaming damp.
98% of tenants stated that they are concerned for their health in some way in the presence of damp and mould, 21% said there were concerns with their health, 21% concerned for their children’s health, and 21% concerned for mould allergies, and 21% requiring cleaning constantly.
James Berry, deputy CEO at the PCA, will attend the webinar, focusing on the UK regulations that exist and what they mean for social and private tenants. He will also set out what to do if damp or mould is present in a home, when to raise concerns, and who to contact for further advice.
Berry said: “The Social Housing (Regulation Act (2023): Awaab’s Law and the Renters Rights Bill are among the recent changes in regulation that affect social and private tenants and landlords.
“By understanding the regulations relating to housing standards, people can act – and know where to seek support – if condensation, damp or mould is found in a property.”
To find out more about the webinar, or to sign up, click here.
