Life on the estate where people complain but things never get better
17.04.2023 - 06:01
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Karina Lowe-Hogan opens a kitchen cupboard. She pulls out a box of teabags.
It's kept inside a small plastic bag and sits next to the dried pasta, which is double-bagged. "I've got to put all my [food] stuff in plastic bags because it goes mouldy," she explains.
It's the reality that Karina has faced since moving into the Tameside flat which she rents from housing association Jigsaw Homes. She moved into the one-bedroom flat in February 2020 and says problems with damp and mould began around two months later.
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Her GP believes mould is affecting her health, while Karina says her dog's vet suggested it could have been a factor when the seven-month-old French bulldog, named Kobe, was treated for pneumonia. "I've got nowhere else to go," Karina said.
"I've said to my sister it's at the point where I would rather just end the tenancy and have nowhere to stay. That sounds more ideal than living here."
Karina says her mental health has taken a hit after 'constantly complaining' to Jigsaw about mould. The housing association says it has tried to access her property to carry out repairs.
The issue affects every room in Karina's home. Black spots of mould and brown damp marks surround the inside of her front door, while the floorboards in her hallway appear damaged by moisture.
Downpours hit Hyde on the April afternoon the Manchester Evening News visited Karina's estate. The 23-year-old believes her home struggles to cope with the weather, and she's not alone.
Other tenants the M.E.N. spoke to on the estate believed water was seeping into the walls from outside and leading to harmful mould in their homes. Karina said: "When it rains really heavy it's like a tap,