A WOMAN from Rhyl has expressed concerns for her mother’s safety in her “damp” Prestatyn bungalow, amid fears that she is being “left to rot” in the property.
Jade Jackson, 25, moved in to the property with her mum, Pamela Neal, 50, on West Close in 2016, having been homeless at the time.
Pamela now lives alone at the property, and suffers from physical disability and issues with her mental health.
They moved into the property in 2016 as part of a project ran by Denbighshire County Council which involved renovated vacant houses, working in partnership with landlords to then rent them out to people in need of housing.
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But Jade said that, while a potential solution to the issues at her mother’s home has been identified, it would involve her temporarily moving out of the house and living in a caravan.
She said: “The council paid thousands into renovating the house, and then asked its owner to complete a ‘damp course’ - injecting a solution into the walls to stop damp coming in - before it could be rented out.
“This was not done, and was not checked by the council before the property was rented to my mother.
“Since then, the damp and mould has taken over the smaller bedroom, which was mine, and I still stay in if my mum requires my help due to her disability.
“The damp has resulted in the floorboards rotting and caving in, and clothes and furniture being ruined. It has also now spread to the living room, meaning my mum is limited to her bedroom.”
Jade said that, in January 2023, she contacted the council after failing to get in touch with the landlord for nearly two years.
She added that the council’s environmental health department subsequently filed a report and identified the damp in both rooms.
As well as this, it found, failed guttering, missing roof tiles, a leaking toilet, blocked outside drains, a rat infestation and faulty electrical wiring.
Since then, though, Jade said that the only issues which have been rectified have been the roof tiles and the guttering.
Her mother is in the second band of the council’s Single Access Route To Housing programme, but her application is said to be “on hold” after “refusing to allow remedial works”.
As a result of this ordeal, Jade said her mother’s mental health is currently “really, really bad”.
Jade added: “We have spoke to the council to ask my mum to be moved from this property due these reasons.
“The landlord has said he will do the remedial works but in order to do so, my mum would have to move all of her belongings out of the property and she would have to live in a caravan for weeks.
“Due to her mental and physical health, she is incapable of doing this. The council are now not willing to help my mum, as she has been given a 'solution' which is ‘one box fits all’.
“My mum is in a minority who doesn't fit this, and will now fall through the cracks.
“She has now been left to rot in this bungalow with no assistance from the council or environmental health, but is apparently 'refusing' to leave.
“I’ve told the council that she needs a property where she knows it will be safe to live in, and that, when there are issues, they can be reported and fixed straight away.”
Denbighshire County Council said it cannot comment on individual cases.
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