THEY were promised a sanctuary by a housing association of the same name.
Now a Syrian family has told of their health fears and despair over the damp flat where they say mould penetrates every room.
Dad Shaadi was hospitalised over breathing problems earlier this week and mum Khadija says she fears for the health of children Fatima, eight, and Ali, six. All four have coughs and breathing problems, while Khadija has also developed a skin problem.
None of the conditions have been directly linked to their accommodation, but the parents say they had never experienced prolonged complaints before moving into the ground-floor tenement, which is owned by housing association Sanctuary Scotland.
The organisation has more than 6500 properties from Aberdeenshire to Renfrewshire, including around 1200 in Glasgow, where the family lives. The National has agreed to use assumed names over fears that identification could lead to problems for loved ones still in Syria.
Shaadi, a former journalist, says the problems emerged shortly after they moved in more than a year and a half ago.
A damp smell is obvious from the front door and a makeshift kitchen area has been set up in the bedroom after mould covered plates and cups in the kitchen cupboards.
Black mould has also affected the children’s toys and the parents no longer use their built-in wardrobe after the substance covered clothing.
Shaadi has amassed files of correspondence with the housing association, which is based in the city, and staff have carried out remedial work.
But while windows have been resealed, surfaces cleaned and parts of some walls coated with corrective paint, Shaadi says nothing has fixed the problem and the family is now desperate for change.
He said: “When we came here, everything was perfect for us, but now there have been so many bad things – every month there is something.
“This has not been a sanctuary for us.”
In one letter, the damp is attributed to condensation caused during cooking. It states that instruction to “ventilate the kitchen when cooking to prevent the build up of moisture” has been given,
It added: “Unfortunately our advice does not seem to have been followed as a further inspection on 27 April 2018 found new mould growth in the kitchen, again as a result of inadequate ventilation.”
Khadija, who attends college, says she worries for her children’s health, keeping them out of the home for as long as possible every day.
But Fatima says coughing at night makes it “hard to sleep” even during the current spell of hot, dry weather.
Local MP James Dornan has taken up the family’s case, saying: “We have been in touch with Sanctuary on their behalf and are still waiting on a response.”
The housing association told The National the source of the mould growth is “unclear”, but that its staff have been unable to access the property since April to carry out remedial kitchen works, something the family disputes.
An independent inspection has been carried out.
Sandy McCutcheon, Sanctuary’s head of maintenance and reinvestment in Scotland, said: “We sympathise with the family and recently instructed an independent damp specialist to try to determine the cause of the problem.
“We will liaise with the family and carry out any works recommended by the specialist following their inspection.”
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