ADVICE sessions for householders suffering problems with damp and mould are to be held across Torfaen.
The borough council’s environmental health department and housing officers as well as staff from the NHS and Citizens Advice Bureau will be on hand to provide advice on how to deal with the problem as well as the cost-of-living.
The sessions are the brainchild of Pontnewydd councillor David Daniels who is the Labour cabinet member for housing and who promised to set them up after being questioned on the impact of mouldy and damp homes in the borough.
Council leader Anthony Hunt highlighted the upcoming sessions at the council’s full meeting this week and told members: “I’d like to thank David Daniels for putting together the mould and damp meetings. It’s a great opportunity for people to come along and receive advice on, not only mould and damp, but other cost-of-living services.”
In December Blaenavon independent member Janet Jones asked for assurances local housing associations would assess their properties following the 2020 death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak.
A coroner, in November last year, concluded the youngster died of a respiratory condition caused by mould in his family’s housing association home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
Last December Cllr Daniels said figures provided to Torfaen council, by social landlords Bron Afon Community Housing and Melin Homes, showed they held more than 60 homes that required immediate action to tackle damp and mould.
Representatives of both, and Pobl housing association, will be at the advice sessions in Blaenavon, Pontypool and Cwmbran.
When he announced the advice sessions Cllr Daniels promised the housing associations would be represented and said: “It will probably be a difficult conversation for them.”
The drop in sessions will take place from 2.30pm to 6pm at Blaenavon Resource Centre on Monday, March 7, Pontypool Indoor Market on Wednesday, March 8 and Cwmbran Library on Thursday, March 9.
