A FAMILY have accused a housing association of attempting to ‘mask’ a damp and mould problem that has plagued them and their home for four years now.

Emma and Wayne Racey, of Nether Wallop, say that mould has been an issue at their home in Alywards Way since 2015 when they moved in.

It’s a problem that has damaged parts of the house, requires them to constantly redecorate and left their son, Jack, who has autism, unable to sleep in his bedroom.

“We’ve thrown out so much stuff that’s got mouldy since we’ve been living here,” said Emma.

“It’s ruined my kitchen. I’ve got a cupboard completely broken with doors hanging off.

“I’ve had to now move my son our of his bedroom into the sitting room.”

Emma says she and her family have taken precautions to try to minimise the mould.

They keep the windows open “nearly all the time” but with temperatures dropping, that is no longer going to be an option.

And she says the problem persists all year round.

“It’s even bad in the summer,” Emma added.

“We redecorated our bedroom at the beginning of August but it’s coming back already.

“We decorate every three to four months, but it just keeps coming back through.”

The family have contacted Aster, the housing association who look after their house, who have offered to re-tile one of the rooms affected by the mould. But Emma says this won’t get to the root of the problem.

She told the Advertiser: “They know about the mould and I keep calling up and keep complaining about it.”

“I just think they’re not getting to the bottom of the problem. They’re just masking it.”

“They are not sorting the root of the problem.”

A spokesperson from Aster said: “We have spent some time with Mr Lake [Emma's ex-husand, who is also still listed on the lease] looking at various ways to resolve the problems of mould and condensation in his home and have recently replaced all of the windows in the property and upgraded the cavity insulation to help make his home more energy efficient.

"We will also be upgrading the heating in the bathroom soon.

“We’ve undertaken a number of tests at the property to find out if there are any structural issues that may be contributing towards the mould in the property and we’re confident that the underlying cause is purely due to a build-up of condensation.

“One of the main things that causes mould is cold, unventilated rooms. To prevent condensation and mould it’s really important that homes are kept warm and that windows are opened regularly to allow the air to flow through.

“Further information on how to tackle condensation and mould can be found on our website.”