Following last night’s BBC London News story on rented properties with damp and mould which featured a block in Barnet, Deputy Leader of Barnet Council and Chair of the Housing & Growth Committee, Cllr Ross Houston said:
“We have already been in contact with residents at Rockfield House affected by damp and mould and are doing all we can to help them and to resolve the problem.
“We have also been pro-actively surveying all Barnet’s council homes so we know which properties need action, and we will be bringing that action plan to the next meeting of the Housing & Growth Committee on 17 January, early next year.
“As a new administration elected in May, ensuring residents in Barnet have healthy, affordable homes that are energy efficient and well-insulated is a key priority for us, and we are taking our responsibility to deal with damp and mould very seriously.
“After 13 years of austerity resources are scarce but we are committed to resolve severe cases of damp and mould quickly, and to make sure mild cases are dealt with and do not become severe.
“Much of the council’s housing stock is old and regeneration plans have been delayed in the past, so part of the long-term solution is to build more affordable, large family homes which we will be doing as part of our 1,000 new council homes programme.
“All of this, together with plans to retrofit and insulate homes, will take more resources than we currently have so it is crucial that central government listens to local councils and provides the necessary resources to do what needs to be done and what they are asking of us.”