Pics supplied by Paulette Hamilton MP
As we’ve moved into winter, devastating housing inequalities across the UK have been exposed. In November, we learned of the tragic death of Awaab Ishak in Rotherham, a two-year-old who died as a result of prolonged exposure to mould in his home. Sadly, all too often I hear about families living in similar conditions in our own community.
Just recently I was contacted by a family in Erdington who have been living in temporary accommodation for years.
The mould in their property was so bad that mushrooms were found growing in their bathroom.
I heard from another local family of five sharing a one-bedroom property, where all four children have been prescribed inhalers due to the terrible mould in their home.
After a decade of Conservative mismanagement, £38 million is already being spent every year on treating homes with mould but this simply isn’t enough.
With energy bills going up and a cold winter ahead, we can expect a spike in damp and mould problems. As much as the Tories would like to pretend, this issue isn’t going away.
I spoke in Parliament about how this tragedy – and the shocking cases in our constituency – shine a light on our broken housing market. I urged the Government to bring forward legally enforceable minimum standards for private accommodation and to give local councils stronger powers to tackle rogue landlords.
2022 has been such a hard year for many people in Erdington and across the UK. The cost-of-living crisis is hitting our most deprived neighbourhoods the hardest and energy prices are soaring. Chaos in Downing Street has left working people paying for Tory negligence.
But on a more positive note, it was an absolute joy to attend the Erdington Christmas light switch-on this year, which was a brilliant community event on the High Street and my first time attending as the local MP. It really put me in the festive spirit!
This is my last column of the year, and I want to wish everyone in Erdington, Kingstanding and Castle Vale a very happy Christmas!
For more on Paulette Hamilton MP for Erdington visit www.paulettehamilton.org
Thanks for a voice for Erdington ❤️
Let’s have lots of faith that things will be better than it is right now your involvement is a big blessing