Pensioner with cancer tells of struggles living in damp-ridden flat in Downland Court, Ashford

A pensioner with cancer says the stress of living in a flat ridden with mould has left her unable to sleep.

For almost two years Barbara Hasiuk has endured issues with damp at her home in Downland Court, Ashford, despite repeated requests for help.

The 69-year-old says she is now at the end of her tether, having lived for the last three months surrounded by piles of belongings emptied from her mouldy kitchen cupboards.

“I have leukaemia and can’t live like this any longer,” she said.

“With my condition, I’m always tired, but I can’t sleep because of the stress; I can’t understand why they gave me the flat in an unfit state.”

Ms Hasiuk was “over the moon” after being allocated the property by Clarion Housing Association in 2022, but soon discovered there was an issue with damp on the bedroom and kitchen walls.

She reported the issue to Clarion and also attempted to tackle it herself with mould-killer spray, but without success.

Site visits identified a problem with the property’s gutters and a leaky washing machine as the cause of the damp, but a long-term fix has still not been carried out.

Now, almost two years after moving in, Ms Hasiuk has had enough and wants more done.

She told KentOnline: “I was over the moon to hear that I’d finally have my own place until I moved in and saw the state of the flat and all the issues that needed to be dealt with.

“Over the last two years, I have reported the issues so many times but have mostly been ignored, told there is no problem, or had appointments rescheduled.

“All this time, I’ve lived with the hope that someone would come, but they haven’t. I feel let down and hopeless.”

Since moving in, the issue has become worse, with mould spreading from the kitchen walls into the cupboards.

After being told they would be replaced in February, Ms Hasiuk moved the contents of her kitchen to her living room, where they still remain, piled up on the floor.

Ms Hasiuk says she has also experienced problems with faulty electric heaters, which failed to heat the one-bedroom property and left her with a huge energy bill to pay.

A Clarion spokesperson said: “We’re very sorry that Ms Hasiuk’s home is being affected by these issues and that the work to fix them has progressed slower than we wanted.

“We take all reports of damp and mould seriously and have been working hard to provide a solution, with multiple visits from surveyors and operatives looking to identify the underlying cause of the damp and attempt to resolve the problem.

“This case was complicated by two sources of damp: a leak from the washing machine, now fixed, and a guttering issue.

“We are in contact with Ms Hasiuk and are arranging further work on the gutters, replacement kitchen units and new extractor fans, which we hope will provide a lasting solution.”