Reassurance for young mum who refused move to another 'damp-ridden' house in Skegness

Platform Housing have agreed to additional work after a young Horncastle mum refused to move into a damp house in Skegness.

Platform Housing have agreed "additional works to ensure the property is of a high lettable standard" after grandma Helen Hobson appealed for help when her daughter was offered an 'unsuitable' home in Skegness.

Mrs Hobson, who is also a Platform Housing tenant, told the Standard: "I wouldn't house my dog in it." She explained her daughter has been living in an inadequate damp old people's property in Tennyson Gardens in Horncastle and both of her young children have chest issues, with one referred to the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham.

A number of images she provided showed damp on the walls and windows and broken fences in an overgrown garden filled with rubbish.

"My daughter has lived with her two children in an old people's property in Horncastle," she said.

"It's damp and both children have chest conditions with the baby being treated at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham.

"I believe it is because of the damp and my daughter has been asking to move for two years now.

"Before she went on maternity leave her work was in Skegness and that is where her boyfriend is and so that is where she wants to move to.

"But the property she was offered was just not fit to live in."

Director of New Customers & Specialist Housing at Platform Housing Group, Sarah Sutton, told us that their "Customer has now accepted a property that suits the needs of her family" She said: “Following concerns raised about the condition of this property, we have spoken with the Customer and arranged for an inspection to the property and agreed additional works to ensure the property is of a high lettable standard.

"We are pleased that our Customer has now accepted a property that suits the needs of her family.”

The state of rental properties nationwide has been featured in a special report by ITV. An investigation revealed 10 million people in the UK live in homes that do not meet suitable standards.

Government statistics show that the annual cost to the NHS each year is £1.4billion.

One in five winter deaths are attributed to damp and cold housing.

Matt Hancock told the ITV: "We have seen some horrific examples in some parts of the country and housing is having a clear impact on people's health.

"What I want to do through the whole of the health system is focus on what causes ill health - not just picking up the pieces afterwards - and housing is at the centre of that approach."

We spoke to East Lindsey District Council who are currently working to raise standards for tenants in the area.

The authority is currently delivering Green Homes Grants to residents across the district. These will improve the energy efficiency of eligible properties through measures such as external wall insulation, cavity wall insulation, floor and loft insulation.

Raising the standards of the fabric of buildings will help reduce fuel poverty by lowering running costs. The scheme is open to homeowners and landlords.

Those living in rented properties who believe they could benefit from a grant may wish to speak to their landlord directly, or get in touch with us and we can approach them on tenants’ behalf if the eligibility criteria is met. For more details visit https://www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/greenhomesgrant or call 01507 613573.