A 64-year-old British Army veteran is one of over a million people enduring life in cold, mould-infested homes, relying on a small blow heater to survive.
Keith Vaughan, who served 22 years in the Royal Army Medical Corps, is among 1.3 million households – including a million children – in England living in damp conditions.
Mr Vaughan’s situation highlights the severity of Britain’s housing crisis, with new research set to be released on Sunday showing that 64 per cent of those in cold, damp homes report respiratory problems, and 62 per cent struggle to wash and dry their clothes.
The research, drawn from Government data together with a survey of 2,000 people, reveals mental health is also being impacted.
Some 64 per cent of residents feel anxious, and 57 per cent feel helpless.
Among parents, 71 per cent are “deeply concerned” about the long-term effects of damp on their families.
The crisis follows legislation introduced last month mandating landlords to address damp and mould issues within strict time frames following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from lung problems caused by mould exposure in 2020.
Despite the new rules, the crisis has become so severe that community laundrettes are becoming the “new food banks”, offering households a place to get clothes clean and dry as mould takes hold in their homes.
Veteran Keith Vaughan is one of over a million people enduring life in cold, mould-infested homes
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One UK gas firm, Cadent, is among those who are setting up new “Warm Wash Centres” across some of the most deprived parts of the country.
It is opening 10 across Liverpool, Birmingham, Leicester and London this winter, aiming to support 50,000 vulnerable households with a warm, dry space.
Mr Vaughan, who relies on Universal Credit to get by, has only £10 a day on average to cover his food and heating.
He said: “If I was in my 80s or more vulnerable, I would not survive.”
WINTER HEALTH CRISIS – READ MORE:
Keith Vaughan served 22 years in the Royal Army Medical Corps
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Without central heating, he struggles to combat the mould in his home, mixing bleach to tackle the problem and is also unable to dry his clothes in winter.
Colleen Curran, a single mother-of-five from Birmingham, has also been battling severe damp and mould in her two-bedroom home for over 13 years.
Due to rising energy costs, Colleen says she can only heat one room in her home, relying on an electric heater to keep her children warm.
Her eight-year-old son, Jonjo, was recently hospitalised with pneumonia, which doctors linked to the conditions in the house.
“There’s nothing worse than seeing your child sick from something that could have been prevented,” she said.
She added: “The damp stains never go away, and parts of the roof are missing. The mould reappears within days, dark stains seep through the wallpaper, and cold air filters into the house through gaps caused by deteriorating brickwork, missing roof tiles, and damaged guttering. The ongoing battle is just exhausting.”
Teachers have also seen the impact in classrooms. Jo Campbell, the headteacher of Kirkdale Primary School in Liverpool, said: “Fuel poverty is having a devastating impact on some of our families.
“We see children coming into school in damp or incomplete uniforms because parents can’t afford to heat their homes or dry clothes overnight. In some cases, families are living in overcrowded, cold houses where mould is growing, and children are suffering with asthma and respiratory issues.”
Phil Burrows, head of customer vulnerability at Cadent, called the research findings “shocking” and a “call to action.”
He said, “Safe, warm housing isn’t a privilege, it’s a fundamental right. With rising energy costs exacerbating fuel poverty, families are being pushed into unsafe living conditions where damp and mould thrive.”
