{"id":1114,"date":"2021-04-27T09:27:32","date_gmt":"2021-04-27T08:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/socialhousingmatters.co.uk\/?p=1114"},"modified":"2021-04-29T12:07:06","modified_gmt":"2021-04-29T11:07:06","slug":"dampen-your-mould","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/socialhousingmatters.co.uk\/index.php\/2021\/04\/27\/dampen-your-mould\/","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: Dampen your Mould &#8211; The dire state of housing in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/socialhousingmatters.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/20210426_DampenMould_GWolferink.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1116\" srcset=\"https:\/\/socialhousingmatters.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/20210426_DampenMould_GWolferink.png 800w, https:\/\/socialhousingmatters.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/20210426_DampenMould_GWolferink-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/socialhousingmatters.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/20210426_DampenMould_GWolferink-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption>Photo from SixStarGroup.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>After an initial widely shared and discussed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.itv.com\/news\/2021-03-22\/the-worst-ive-ever-seen-the-appalling-and-unliveable-council-housing-conditions-some-have-endured-during-lockdown\">ITV report<\/a> from 22<sup>nd<\/sup> March 2021, it took <a href=\"https:\/\/www.itv.com\/news\/2021-04-13\/investigation-launched-into-disgusting-damp-and-mouldy-council-housing-after-itv-news-report\">another<\/a> report on the 13<sup>th<\/sup> of April for the Housing Ombudsman to launch an investigation into some dire living conditions for many (social housing) tenants across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.itv.com\/news\/2021-03-24\/robert-jenrick-disgusted-by-images-from-itv-news-social-housing-report-but-adds-its-not-emblematic-of-wider-sector\">response<\/a> to the initial report, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said that while he was \u201cdisgusted by the images revealed by ITV\u201d and \u201cthose practises will be rooted out\u201d,&nbsp; he \u201cdoes not think the conditions of the social housing in Croydon are representative of the whole of the UK\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, in response to both the first and second report, reporter Daniel Hewitt \u201cwas \u2018inundated\u2019 with \u2018hundreds and hundreds\u2019 of examples\u201d. \u201cITV News investigations have found there is a \u2018growing problem with severe mould and damp\u2019 throughout the UK, with councils often not dealing with residents&#8217; complaints.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Blame Game never changes<\/strong>&#8230;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/socialhousingmatters.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/image-1.jpeg\" alt=\"792 The Blame Game Stock Photos, Pictures &amp; Royalty-Free Images - iStock\" class=\"wp-image-1128\" width=\"345\" height=\"200\"\/><figcaption>Source: iStock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The blame for mould and damp, as Hewitt explains in an interview, is often placed with the tenants themselves.  This is something that I recognise myself. I have heard it working in the social housing sector for over 10 years in two different countries. I&#8217;ve heard it from many peers working in both sectors, especially in the UK. I&#8217;ve heard and experienced it living in a 1960s-built terraced home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Hewitt says, tenants are told that \u201cthey are not ventilating their flat enough, they are not opening the window, they are using the washing machine too much. Effectively the mould and damp is their own problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have heard many housing staff utter these same phrases in response to reports of damp straight away. Even before someone has had a look that. I&#8217;ve seen numerous of such complaints, and which were mostly pleas for help. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve been told it myself by a former private sector landlord, living in a home with radiators placed on internal walls rather than external walls, ventilating the property daily even throughout winter, not even owning a washing machine and only drying washing inside if the weather was absolutely dire outside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, upon terminating the tenancy, my deposit was withheld because they found specs of mould upon inspection. Specs of mould, after cleaning entire swathes of it throughout our tenancy, from the very beginning; we were at fault. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Damp, mould and condensation are flogged as a \u2018lifestyle problem\u2019. This approach ignores the age and\/or low build quality of many homes still present in social housing stock. The lack of enough decent homes fit for the 21<sup>st<\/sup> century is not a secret. As Hewitt said, \u201cthere are almost half a million people in England living in sub-standard social housing in this country. 200,000 of them are living in properties with damp, with risk of electrocution\u201d. This is not a big state secret either. These numbers come from government data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Proof is in the\u2026 putting in sensors<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m writing to tell you, if you didn\u2019t know already, that there is technology available that can help with detecting and preventing mould and damp from spreading to the levels as seen in the recent reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Specifically, the most useful technology here is sensor technology, which falls in the realm of \u2018Internet of Things\u2019 technology. We can place sensors in homes that send data with information on humidity, temperature, airflow, movement and many more things using Wi-Fi. The sensor sends the data to an online platform that can track, analyse and send out reports and warnings to whomever has access to that platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many providers of sensor technology, and there are quite a few landlords investing in the technology and\/or running and starting pilots already, although <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hvpmag.co.uk\/Examining-perceptions-of-smart-sensors-in-the-social-housing-sector\/11936\">many still use the excuse of \u2018cost\u2019<\/a> to not start trying things out, even though it can help save both them and the tenants living in the homes they&nbsp; manage a lot of money in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Danger, Will Robinson<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/creativeinfrastructure.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/01\/dangerwillrobinson-1.jpg\" alt=\"Danger, Will Robinson | Creative Infrastructure\" width=\"186\" height=\"235\"\/><figcaption>Source: virtualizationsoftware.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\">As with everything, there is a danger that technology can be used for, well, less great things, even if the motivations of their creators were benign to begin with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Going back to one of my first housing tech events, I remember the anecdote of one of the attendees about a landlord who welcomed the opportunity for housing providers to turn off boilers and other essential appliances remotely to force rent payments or evictions. This is a bad take on the great possibilities that remote control of such appliances have for health and safety concerns. Sensor technology, the data and information also have the power to be used in a similar way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of driven by a desire (and duty) to ensure safe and healthy homes for all, I can see the tool being implemented mainly as a tool to further the narrative of blame and mould and damp as lifestyle problems in homes that everyone <em>knows <\/em>are prone to damp and mould. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;As emphasised in this Public Sector Build Journal <a href=\"https:\/\/psbjmagazine.com\/features\/housing\/5129\/how-property-sensors-can-assist-social-landlords\/\">article<\/a>, which outlines the impact of the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cWith responsibility for thousands of properties, the new legislation creates specific <strong>challenges<\/strong> for social landlords. These will include ensuring that their homes meet the specified standards, quickly identifying those that aren\u2019t \u2013 and importantly understanding why and who was responsible for any persistent failings.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Excuse me? Challenge?<\/em> Like with multiple reports from ITV being needed to at least plant some seedlings of urgency to dealing with this widespread problem of mould and damp, clearly it takes a new Act for social landlords to get their ducks in a row and suddenly \u2018face a challenge\u2019 to ensuring homes meet certain standards\u2026 and of course there is the \u2018who was responsible\u2019 phrase that can get us into a big grey area if we don\u2019t acknowledge the limitations of sensor data and place it over lived experience and wide-spread socio-economic factors that play a role in the current state of the UK\u2019s housing stock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>There\u2019s more than meets the eye-opening data from sensors<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE the possibilities that come with sensor technology. I do believe that it can help all parties involved to create healthier living environments. Sensor technology can help us learn more about (our own) habits. It can show us where we can make potential savings when it comes to heating our homes. Combined with other SMART technology, such as remotely operated thermostats, it has the potential to not only make our lives easier, but also to rethink and redesign the way we live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are few big and very important things that should accompany the spread of sensor technology across the world, and with that the social housing sector in the UK. We have to appreciate and embrace these technologies without losing sight of what happens in the real world to the very real people (not reference numbers or complaints cases) living in their homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Just stop it<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/41QYHfJYj7L.jpg\" alt=\"No One Wins Playing The Blame Game eBook: Love, S.E.: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle  Store\" width=\"-106\" height=\"-150\"\/><figcaption>Source: Amazon.co.uk<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Successful and <em>ethical<\/em> use of technology in order to address and monitor living conditions, always has to start with, the following. And let me put this very, <em>very<\/em> bluntly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>STOP BLAMING TENANTS FOR DAMP AND MOULD AS A STANDARD ANSWER TO AVOID DOING THE WORK TO ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>STOP IT. Just stop it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lack of enough decent homes fit for the 21<sup>st<\/sup> century, or even the end of the 20<sup>th<\/sup>, is not a secret, as Hewitt said on the 22<sup>nd<\/sup> of March 2021:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cthere are almost half a million people in England, and we know this from government data, living in sub-standard social housing in this country, 200,000 of them living in properties with damp, with risk of electrocution.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Secondly, from the examples of Ms Franksoy Hewitt and Mr Leroy McNally, the two tenants who featured in the initial ITV report, it is clear that they too have received that standard response for ages without anyone taking them seriously, placing both blame and the onus to resolve it with the tenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Croydon Council ignored the complaints for over 5 months, but they were soon to send out inspectors, express apologies and organise alternative accommodation \u2013 within 24 hours \u2013 after ITV sharing their report and asking for comment. It shouldn\u2019t take a journalist raising awareness for this to get any attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the social housing sector. Of course, all landlords, but especially social landlords, including councils, are responsible to provide safe and healthy homes to their tenants as a matter of principle, it should be at the very core of their being. With this very basic mission statement should come the knowledge and acknowledgement of the state of the UK\u2019s social housing stock. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>See the Big Data picture<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/creativity-post\/uploads\/_articleHeader\/iStock-971246796.jpg\" alt=\"The Creativity Post | BIG Picture Thinking\" width=\"392\" height=\"261\"\/><figcaption>Source: CreativityPost.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>And that\u2019s where my second big point comes in. We need to not only use the sensor data from as many (social) homes as we can. We also need to combine them with the lived experiences of the people living in these homes. Only then can we make a holistic case for building not only more, but also better homes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, a single sensor in a single home can help a single tenant to save on energy bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, a single temperature sensor can alert a landlord to any signs of financial struggles. Especially when combined with data from rent accounts and from incoming calls (or lack thereof). It can help them reach out sooner in an appropriate way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, multiple sensors in the same block can help prove that complaints aren&#8217;t just from one tenant.  Data from more than one sensor telling the same story can help you rethink a landlord&#8217;s timescales for planned maintenance. This can help prevent the spread of damp and mould, keeping tenants safe and their living environments healthy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hell yes, we should invest in all of this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are good things for individuals at one point in time, but they are reactive and small-picture. These instances are a&nbsp;plaster on a wound that is far too big and infected to be sorted with a simple one-size-fits-one band-aid. They are quick fixes that only touch the surface of what we should be doing with these kinds of data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m not saying that we should stop investing in these quick wins. Nor am I saying that we shouldn&#8217;t help individuals tenants, and improving individual homes.  However, we need these technologies to help us create a better future for housing. We cannot let these individual wins stay what they are. They need to be the catalysts for more. They need to show the bigger picture; the big data picture of the dire state of housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Build for more, not for less<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This means we will need to find ways to bring all the information, all the things we learn about our living environments, together. Not just within one street or block of homes, not just within one organisation. Not even just within one city, not just within one county or even country. In fact, we need to work globally to build better homes. But, as we&#8217;re talking social housing here, let&#8217;s start with housing associations working together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When we work together, technology can help us all become more aware of how we are living. It can also show us how we might change some things that help create a more sustainable future. We are already doing that in some ways, but it is sad to see that most of the innovation happens in homes built to sell. A future with safe and warm homes should not just be for those who can afford it, but for everyone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npengage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/GlobalGoals-NPE.jpg\" alt=\"17 Goals in 14 Years\u2014This is Impact 2030. Let's Build a Better World. |  npENGAGE\" width=\"395\" height=\"253\"\/><figcaption>Source: NPEngage.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The entire sector, and all those working in and of the fringes of it, need to set aside any desires they might have for financial gain and\/or competitive natures to be &#8216;the first, the one and only&#8217;. Instead, they have to work together from the get-go to design and build homes that <strong>work<\/strong>. They must bring together everything they know to convince government and other funding bodies available, that they need more financial support to build homes <strong>fit for the 21st century<\/strong>. They must also come together to fight the &#8216;race to the bottom&#8217; way of selecting and acquiring resources and building sub-standard quality homes, and scrutinise the builders we select for building our social homes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together we can prove that damp and mould are not a lifestyle problem, but more often than not the result poor building quality and, in a way, of wide-spread tenant stigma. Why? Because the stigma informs resource allocation, design choices and the way we react to the first signs of trouble. &#8216;It&#8217;s good enough for social housing&#8217; is something we don&#8217;t need to hear more of. If we don&#8217;t, and if we don&#8217;t use technology to help tackle every challenge that tenants face that are out of their own control, why bother with technology in social housing at all, or social housing for that matter? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The dire state of housing and the poor conditions in which many private rented sector, council and social housing tenants are living has been brought to the forefront yet again in recent weeks. <\/p>\n<p>Good, because this needs to be addressed. SHM&#8217;s Dr Gaby Wolferink writes about her views and experiences and thinks about how sensor technology can and should be used to build better housing, fit for the 21st century, for everyone, not just those who can afford it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1118,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,9,5,8,10],"tags":[258,255,254,253,111,112,256,257,77],"class_list":["post-1114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-experience","category-practice","category-research","category-technology","tag-blame","tag-building","tag-building-quality","tag-condensation","tag-damp","tag-mould","tag-sensor-technology","tag-sensors","tag-technology",""],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.4.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Opinion: Dampen your Mould - The dire state of housing in the UK - Social Housing Matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/socialhousingmatters.co.uk\/index.php\/2021\/04\/27\/dampen-your-mould\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Opinion: Dampen your Mould - The dire state of housing in the UK - Social Housing Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The dire state of housing and the poor conditions in which many private rented sector, council and social housing tenants are living has been brought to the forefront yet again in recent weeks.  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