Tilehurst mum's desperation to move from mould-ridden home

Karen Scott, 61, is searching for a new home for herself and her three daughters as where they live in Norcot has become afflicted with mould.

Photos provided by Ms Scott show black mould in the house and a ruined travel bag.

The family is currently living in a terraced home in St Georges Road.

The family are vulnerable as Ms Scott is suffering from health conditions and mental health issues, her eldest daughter, 22, is diagnosed with autism, her 19-year-old daughter has spine issues and her 16-year-old daughter is accessing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS).

And now, they are at risk of homelessness as they have been served with eviction notices by their current landlords.

Evidence of mould at the home of Karen Scott, which she shares with her three daughters in St Georges Road, Norcot. (Image: Karen Scott)

Ms Scott is attempting to relocate through Reading Borough Council, but are in a band which gives them low priority for a council house.

She said: "The band makes me impossible to get something even when I do see it.

"At the end of the day it's not good enough.

"I'm not being funny, but I've got to be there for the children."

She explained that her and her daughters are able to support each other, but the uncertain situation is causing all of them stress. 

Ms Scott said she would be satisfied with a three-bed home with a reception room that could be converted into a bedroom.

The last four-bed home she saw available on the council house website was  back in November.

Evidence of mould at the home of Karen Scott, which she shares with her three daughters in St Georges Road, Norcot. (Image: Karen Scott)

She is unable to afford private rental properties that average £1,650 per month as she is off work due to her health.

Ms Scott explained: "It's making my mental health even worse. They are trying to force me into the private rental market.

"I've been back and forth with the doctors for the mould and cholesterol because of the stress.

"It's making me ill."

Pressure is mounting on the family to move, as the last eviction notice has ordered them to vacate the home by Monday, June 17.

Ms Scott now fears her family could be stuck in the limbo of temporary accommodation until a suitable home becomes available.

A travel bag ruined due to contact with mould at the home of Karen Scott in Norcot. (Image: Karen Scott)

She said: "The council want me to go the temporary route. I'm not being funny, I have tried to look.

"I'm sitting here day by day and I don't want to get up in the morning."

The pressure of moving has brought up Ms Scott's bereavement at the loss of her partner, who died in 2009.

She said: "it doesn't help us to move on, we are trying but it gets brought up again as I have to show his death certificate. I have to go through it all again, they don't realise what it does to people.

"We're struggling. We're going to have to rebuild our lives.

"This is delaying all of our lives at the moment.

"It's too much at the moment, we don't know what we're doing, we're we're going, it's all up in the air."

The landlords of the home have declined to comment.

A spokesperson for Reading Borough Council said that it is working actively to find Ms Scott and her daughters a new home, and that,  if necessary, this will be emergency temporary accommodation.

The spokesperson said: “Ms Scott lives in privately rented housing, which means the condition of her property is the responsibility of her private landlord.

“Given the concerns raised by Ms Scott however, the Council’s Environmental Health team has visited the property and found mild to moderate mould growth which requires treatment by her private landlord.

“At this time, from an Environmental Health perspective, it does not constitute an urgent requirement for an immediate move and we hope her landlord can take prompt action.

“Her situation has changed recently as her landlord, having previously indicated she could remain in her home for the time being, has now stated that actions to repossess the property may be taken in the near future.

“In light of this we will now be working actively with Ms Scott to arrange alternative accommodation for her – if necessary this will be emergency temporary accommodation.”