3 hours Ago By [email protected] (Dylan Hayward)
A Leicester mum with asthma has claimed that she and her disabled son were told they must move into a "mould-infested" property provided by the city council as temporary accommodation or face homelessness. Zainab Blake claimed she was told to "wipe down" black mould growing on walls of the Glenfield property, despite warning council officers about their health risks. The 27-year-old has been receiving help from Leicester City Council since losing her home while pregnant in April 2023.
The authority has housed her at various locations temporarily, latterly the Quality City Apartments, a hotel in Bath Lane, in the city centre. However, when her authorised time at Quality City Apartments came to an end, she was offered a home which she claimed had daylight visible through gaps in the roof, "extensive" damp and black mould "throughout the property, including in the kitchen, attic and storage areas". The home in question is owned by a private landlord but offered by the council to people in need of a home.
Therefore, repairs are handled by the council. But the mum, who suffers from mobility issues causing joint dislocations, claims that when she raised concerns about the condition of the property, the city council told her - in messages seen by LeicestershireLive - that she had to move into it or face eviction from the hotel. READ MORE: Leicestershire children's home approved for town despite numerous objections After sending photos of the mould to her housing officer, along with medical documentation about her conditions and her son's special needs, Ms Blake was told - in correspondence seen by LeicestershireLive - that the property was "a suitable offer of accommodation".
She was also told by the authority: "I [accept] that you may have other health conditions such as asthma and eczema, however I do not believe these make the property unsuitable for you." Ms Blake told LeicestershireLive: "I feel vulnerable, very much so. I feel really bad, more for my son than me because it's [his] home and I want him to have a really good upbringing, but how can he have a nice home when there's all these other problems? I wouldn't even put my own pet in there.
" She claimed the council was "trying to get [her] out of the system" and "push her aside and deal with other people". She said she had been "in tears for about a week" over the situation. Photographs taken by Ms Blake appear to show mould and discolouration throughout the property, including in the attic.
A city council spokesperson told LeicestershireLive: "After investigating, we have found that this property did not have a final inspection prior to it being offered to Ms Blake. We have apologised to Ms Blake for this, and our repairs team will be carrying out the necessary works this week." They added: “We have assured Ms Blake there are no structural concerns with this property, or any other significant issues preventing the property from being lived in.
" LeicestershireLive pressed the council on how the omission had happened and how many other properties might have been offered without proper inspections. In response, the council said that while all properties were inspected, a gap between inspections at the home had led to the "oversight", though it maintained that the property was "always habitable". A spokesperson said the "only mould" identified at the property was behind the washing machine, and that there was "some staining in a cupboard".
They said: "The photograph shows an area where a washing machine had been located. This can be easily cleaned up. Ms Blake has also highlighted some very minor repairs that she would like completing, and these will be carried out at the same time.
" Ms Blake claimed, however, that after she contacted LeicestershireLive, a repair team had visited the property and used mould treatment in multiple areas. She added that work was now being done on the roof. The council spokesperson added that Ms Blake's temporary accommodation would be extended until the "very minor repairs" had been carried out on the property.
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